title: [Macroprolactinemia and intermediate hyperprolactinemia: clinical manifestations and image].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize patients with indeterminate values of hyperprolactinemia (PEG test for the identification of macroprolactinemias with recovery between 30 and 65%) (PRLi) or macroprolactinemia (PRLm), in relation to clinical characteristics, such as the presence or absence of symptoms, as well as their intensity and variation, and the presence or absence of central nervous system tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional retrospective survey of records of 24 patients with hyperprolactinemia, in reproductive ages, with prolactin >25 ng/dL. Eleven women with PRLm and 13 with PRLi were included. Records from the two groups were extracted for analysis: age, parity, body mass index, presence of galactorrhea, infertility, and central nervous system tumor. Anthropometrics data were expressed as mean and standard deviation. To compare groups regarding the presence of central nervous system tumor, galactorrhea, as well as infertility we used the Student's t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Galactorrhea was more prevalent in patients with PRLi (p=0.01). Seventy percent of women with PRLi presented pituitary tumor (microprolactinoma), whereas this finding was evident in 17% of the PRLm Group (p=0.04). Among the patients with and PRLm PRLi, nine were not investigated with the image of the central nervous system because they have low levels of prolactin (five carriers and four PRLm PRLi). There were no significant differences regarding the occurrence of infertility or irregular menstrual cycles between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with intermediate hyperprolactinemia present more galactorrhea symptoms as well as central nervous system tumors than women with macroprolactinemia.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Carolina Japur de Sá
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Rosa-e-Silva
authors.forename: Mariani Mendes
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Madisson
authors.forename: Marcos Felipe Silva
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: De-Sá
authors.forename: Rosana Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Julio Cesar
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rosa-e-Silva
authors.forename: Lucia Alves Silva
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Lara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006966:Hyperprolactinemia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index