Treatment for prolactinomas and hyperprolactinaemia: a lifetime approach

Clinical presentation and recurrence of pituitary neuroendocrine tumors: results from a single referral center in Colombia

INTRODUCTION

Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) represent 15-18.2% of all intracranial tumors. Their clinical presentation can range from chronic headache, visual defects, hypopituitarism to hormone excess syndromes. PitNETS are commonly classified as functioning neuroendocrine tumors (F-PitNETs) and non-functioning neuroendocrine tumors (NF-PitNETs). At the moment, new classification has emerged based on cell lineages. Almost 50% of all patients with PitNETs require surgical intervention, and about 25% of these have residual and persistent disease that may require additional management.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort of medical records of patients with PitNETs, aiming to describe the incidence of recurrence of patients who received surgical treatment over a 12 month follow up period at San Jose Hospital (SJH) in Bogotá, Colombia, over an observation period of 10 years. Furthermore, clinical presentation, biochemical characteristics and immunohistochemistry, postoperative complications are detailed.

RESULTS

Eight hundred and eighty-seven patients with pituitary tumors were included in the cohort; 83% (737/887) had a diagnosis of PitNET. Of these, 18.9% (140) received surgical management. The majority 58% (98/140) had nonfunctional-PitNETs (NF-PitNETs), followed by growth-hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma (22.1%; 33/140), adrenocorticotropic- hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma (9.3%; 13/140), and prolactinomas (9.3%; 13/140). A recurrence was found in 45.71% (64/140), subclassified as biochemical in 15.71% (22/140), controlled with medications in 20% (28/140), and remission occurred in 18.57% (26/140).

CONCLUSION

Clinical presentation and incidence of recurrence in patients with PitNETs in a referral center in Colombia are similar to other surgical cohorts with low cure rates and high recurrence.

Management of prolactinomas in children and adolescents; which factors define the response to treatment?

PURPOSE

Prevalence, presentation and clinical outcome of prolactinomas vary in children and adults. In this study, we evaluated the clinical features and outcome of children and adolescents with prolactinoma to identify the differences from that of adults, and thus to establish the management strategies for this age group.

METHODS

Patients with prolactinoma diagnosed before 18 years of age from a single center in the last 20-years were included. Clinical and laboratory data, radiological findings and treatment outcome were evaluated retrospectively.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients (23 female; 82.1%) with prolactinoma were included. Median age at diagnosis was 15.2 years (12.6-17.7 years) in girls, 12.9 years (12.0-16.7 years) in boys. First line treatment was cabergoline in 82% of patients and normal prolactin level was achieved with maximum dose of 2 mg/week in 78%. Surgery was required in 28% of patients. Adenomas < 13.5 mm responded conventional doses of CAB. Adenomas > 30 mm were drug resistant or required surgery. Adenomas between 13.5 mm and 30 mm with invasion/extension were more likely to have drug resistance. CAB had to be continued following surgery in all patients. One macroprolactinoma had an increase in size which was accompanied with increasing prolactin level.

CONCLUSIONS

All microprolactinomas responded well to DA treatment. However, all adenomas larger than 30 mm was resistant to CAB or required surgery. Probability of drug resistance and requirement of second line therapy were higher in adenomas between 13.5 mm and 30 mm with invasion/extension. Doses over 2 mg/week of CAB in drug-resistant patients may not provide additional benefit. The frequency of follow-up MRI could be determined based on prolactin levels and emergence of new neurological symptoms.

Retinal layers in prolactinoma patients: a spectral-domain optical coherence tomography study

PURPOSE

Prolactinoma is a type of pituitary tumour that produces an excessive amount of the hormone prolactin. It is the most common type of hormonally-active pituitary tumour. These tumours can cause ocular complications such as vision loss and visual fields (VF) defect. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the thickness of chorioretinal layers in patients with prolactinoma.

METHODS

We enrolled 63 eyes of 32 prolactinoma patients and 36 eyes of 18 age and gender-matched healthy controls. All participants underwent complete hormonal and ophthalmological examination, including spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and VF test.The complete biochemical response was defined as serum PRL concentration ≤ 20 ng/mL at the time of evaluation.The seven layers were retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), inner nuclear layer (INL), outer plexiform layer (OPL), outer nuclear layer (ONL), and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The results of prolactinoma patients were compared with the control group.

RESULTS

The mean RNFL, GCL, IPL, INL, ONL, and RPE were thinner in prolactinoma patients than the control group (p < 0.05) while OPL was similar between groups (p > 0.05).None of the patients had VF defect.The thickness of retinal layers was similar in patients with and without complete biochemical response (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first study that evaluates the thickness of chorioretinal layers in patients with prolactinoma.Most of the layers were thinner than the control group.Therefore, detailed eye assessment should be a routine component of the follow-up visits of prolactinoma patients and further studies related to this condition are required.

Efficacy and Safety of Adjunctive Aripiprazole, Metformin, and Paeoniae-Glycyrrhiza Decoction for Antipsychotic-Induced Hyperprolactinemia: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Aripiprazole, metformin, and paeoniae-glycyrrhiza decoction (PGD) have been widely used as adjunctive treatments to reduce antipsychotic (AP)-induced hyperprolactinemia in patients with schizophrenia. However, the comparative efficacy and safety of these medications have not been previously studied. A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety between aripiprazole, metformin, and PGD as adjunctive medications in reducing AP-induced hyperprolactinemia in schizophrenia. Both international (PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases) and Chinese (WanFang, Chinese Biomedical, and Chinese National Knowledge infrastructure) databases were searched from their inception until January 3, 2019. Data were analyzed using the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations with the WinBUGS software. A total of 62 RCTs with 5,550 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Of the nine groups of treatments included, adjunctive aripiprazole (<5 mg/day) was associated with the most significant reduction in prolactin levels compared to placebo (posterior MD = -65.52, 95% CI = -104.91, -24.08) and the other eight treatment groups. Moreover, adjunctive PGD (>1:1) was associated with the lowest rate of all-cause discontinuation compared to placebo (posterior odds ratio = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.10, 3.13) and adjunctive aripiprazole (>10 mg/day) was associated with fewer total adverse drug events than placebo (posterior OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.65, 1.77) and other eight treatment groups. In addition, when risperidone, amisulpride, and olanzapine were the primary AP medications, adjunctive paeoniae/glycyrrhiza = 1:1, aripiprazole <5 mg/day, and aripiprazole >10 mg/day were the most effective treatments in reducing the prolactin levels, respectively. Adjunctive aripiprazole, metformin, and PGD showed beneficial effects in reducing AP-induced hyperprolactinemia in schizophrenia, with aripiprazole (<5 mg/day) being the most effective one.

Chemometric Expertise Of Clinical Monitoring Data Of Prolactinoma Patients

The present investigation indicates hidden relationships between the several clinical parameters usually monitored on prolactinoma patients using non-hierarchical cluster analysis. The major goal of the chemometric data mining is to offer a possible mode of optimization of the monitoring procedure by selecting a reduced number of health status indicators. The intelligent data analysis reveals the formation of three patterns of prolactinoma patients each one of them described by a set of clinical parameters. Thus, better strategies for considering patients with this diagnosis could be developed and clinically applied.

Clinical manifestations, evaluation and management of hyperprolactinemia in adolescent and young girls: a brief review

Hyperprolactinemia (HPrl) is considered as a rare endocrinopathy in childhood. In children and adolescent girls, there are three major categories of HPrl causes; physiological, pathological and iatrogenic. Through hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, prolactin hypersecretion and production leads to the typical functional syndrome which is observed in female children and adolescents; delayed puberty, primary or secondary amenorrhea and/or galactorrhea. Regarding prolactinomas, clinical signs manifest with mass compression of the optic chiasm and anterior pituitary gland or prolactin hypersecretion. Targeted identification of HPrl is of significant importance for proper management and follow-up. The aim of this review is to focus on the evaluation of HPrl in adolescent and young girls. In addition, we aimed to summarize the current knowledge regarding the proper management of such cases. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Clinical Features and Response to Treatment of Prolactinomas in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Single-Centre Analysis and Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Paediatric prolactinomas are rare. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features and outcome of paediatric patients with prolactinomas.

METHODS

In this single-centre retrospective analysis, clinical, biochemical, and radiological features of all paediatric patients with pituitary adenomas diagnosed between 2000 and 2016 were evaluated.

RESULTS

Among 21 patients with pituitary adenomas, 12 patients with prolactinomas (median age 14.2 years, range 11-16.6 years, 8 females, 4 males) were identified (7 macro- and 5 microprolactinomas). The most common clinical symptoms were headaches (67%) and pubertal delay (67%). All patients with macroprolactinomas with prolactin concentrations >10,000 mU/L had at least 1 pituitary hormone deficiency. Cabergoline as first-line treatment (n = 11, median follow-up of 37 months, range 12-89 months) induced normoprolactinemia (n = 8), reduced the mean tumour volume by 80%, and ameliorated headaches (p = 0.016) and pubertal delay (p = 0.031), whereas intermittent moderate side effects occurred in 55%.

CONCLUSION

Adolescents with headaches and pubertal delay should be investigated for prolactinomas. Treatment with cabergoline is well tolerated and effective in reducing clinical symptoms and prolactin concentrations was well as inducing tumour shrinkage. Further clinical prospective studies are needed to standardize paediatric treatment modalities.

Prolactinoma through the female life cycle

Prolactinomas are the most common secretory pituitary adenoma. They typically occur in women in the 3rd-6th decade of life and rarely in the pediatric population or after menopause. Most women present with irregular menses and/or infertility. Dopamine (DA) agonists, used in their treatment, are safe during pregnancy, but in most cases are discontinued at conception with close monitoring for signs or symptoms of tumor growth. Breastfeeding is safe postpartum, provided there was no significant growth during pregnancy. Some women will experience normalization of prolactin levels postpartum. Menopause may also decrease prolactin levels and even those with macroprolactinomas may consider discontinuing their DA agonist with close follow-up. Prolactinomas may be associated with decreased quality of life scores in women, and play a role in bone health and cardiovascular risk factors. This review discusses the current literature and clinical understanding of prolactinomas throughout the entirety of the female life cycle.

Update on prolactinomas. Part 1: Clinical manifestations and diagnostic challenges

The authors provide an update on the clinical manifestations and diagnostic challenges of prolactinomas. Prolactinomas are the most common pituitary adenoma seen in clinical practice. Secondary causes of hyperprolactinemia should be ruled out by assessment of the clinical history, including current medications, physical examination, pregnancy test, routine biochemical analysis with a thyroid function test, and neuroimaging, before a confirmatory diagnosis of prolactinoma is made. Prolactinomas are associated with endocrine dysfunction, affecting gonadal function and causing neurological deficits due to mass effect. The progress in elucidating the pathogenesis of prolactinomas and advances in diagnostic methods, including more sensitive diagnostic hormone assays and neuroimaging, have enriched the current diagnostic approach and management. Making the correct diagnosis is crucial to implementing the appropriate therapy. Dopamine agonist therapy remains the first line of treatment for prolactinomas, as it is effective in normalizing serum prolactin levels and reducing tumor size. Surgery is typically indicated for patients who are resistant to medical therapy or intolerant of its adverse side effects, or for those experiencing progressive neurological deficits. Nevertheless, curative surgical resection as a primary mode of treatment for smaller prolactinomas has recently gained attention as an alternative to lifelong dopamine agonist treatment.

The effect of metformin on prolactin levels in patients with drug-induced hyperprolactinemia

BACKGROUND

In bromocriptine-treated hyperprolactinemic patients with impaired glucose tolerance, metformin was found to reduce plasma levels of prolactin. No previous study has investigated its impact on plasma prolactin in patients with drug-induced hyperprolactinemia.

METHODS

The study included 20 women with antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia and 12 normoprolactinemic women, who, because of coexisting glucose metabolism abnormalities, were treated for 6months with metformin. Hyperprolactinemic patients with prediabetes received moderate doses of metformin (1.7g daily), while hyperprolactinemic and normoprolactinemic patients with type 2 diabetes were treated with high-dose metformin (2.55-3g daily). Fasting plasma glucose levels, the homeostatic model assessment 1 of insulin resistance ratio (HOMA1-IR), glycated hemoglobin, as well as plasma levels of prolactin, thyrotropin, adrenocorticotropic hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 were assessed at baseline and after 6months of treatment.

RESULTS

Despite reducing plasma glucose, HOMA1-IR, and glycated hemoglobin in all treatment groups, metformin decreased prolactin levels only if given at high doses to patients with elevated prolactin levels. No changes in thyrotropin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and insulin-like growth factor-1 were observed in any treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The obtained results suggest that the effect of metformin on plasma prolactin depends on its dose and is observed only in patients with elevated levels of this hormone.

Update on prolactinomas. Part 2: Treatment and management strategies

The authors present an update on the various treatment modalities and discuss management strategies for prolactinomas. Prolactinomas are the most common type of functional pituitary tumor. Effective hyperprolactinemia treatment is of great importance, due to its potential deleterious effects including infertility, gonadal dysfunction and osteoporosis. Dopamine agonist therapy is the first line of treatment for prolactinomas because of its effectiveness in normalizing serum prolactin levels and shrinking tumor size. Though withdrawal of dopamine agonist treatment is safe and may be implemented following certain recommendations, recurrence of disease after cessation of the drug occurs in a substantial proportion of patients. Concerns regarding the safety of dopamine agonists have been raised, but its safety profile remains high, allowing its use during pregnancy. Surgery is typically indicated for patients who are resistant to medical therapy or intolerant of its adverse side effects, or are experiencing progressive tumor growth. Surgical resection can also be considered as a primary treatment for those with smaller focal tumors where a biochemical cure can be expected as an alternative to lifelong dopamine agonist treatment. Stereotactic radiosurgery also serves as an option for those refractory to medical and surgical therapy.

Prolactinomas and the eye: a clinical case and review

PURPOSE

Elevated prolactin levels may have several etiologies, one of which is a prolactinoma. Prolactinomas, the most prevalent pituitary tumors, may be more common than once described. These tumors can result in ocular complications such as vision loss and visual field defects. Prolactinomas are easily treated but need to be identified early in order to prevent more serious systemic complications.

CASE REPORT

A 24-year-old Pacific Islander male presented with sudden blurred vision and an associated visual field defect in the right eye for 4 to 6 months. After performing a magnetic resonance imaging and consultation with an endocrinologist, the patient was diagnosed with a prolactinoma. The patient was treated and demonstrated a complete recovery of visual acuity and visual field defect.

CONCLUSIONS

Prolactinomas are a common pituitary tumor characterized by an increase in prolactin levels. This review describes how prolactinomas are classified, their etiology, subsequent complications, and treatments.

Prolactin in men's health and disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To review physiology of prolactin (PRL), cause and managment of hyperprolactinemia, and discuss evolving diverse roles of PRL in men's health.

RECENT FINDINGS

Hyperprolactinemia can be physiologically found after sexual activities, exercise, lactation, during pregnancy, and after stressful venipuncture. Elevated PRL can be caused by medications use, renal failure, hypothyroidism, and by prolactinoma - PRL secreting tumors. Symptomatic hyperprolactinemia and prolactinomas should be treated to lower PRL levels, decrease tumor size, and restore gonadal function. Three modes of treatment are typically utilized: pharmacological, radiosurgery with gamma radiation, and external beam radiation. Pharmacological treatment of prolactinomas is mainly based on dopamine agonists. The most frequently used dopamine agonists are bromocriptine and cabergoline. Cabergoline becoming the preferred drug in the treatment of prolactinomas because of higher response rate and less side-effects. Bromocriptine has been recently approved to improve glycemic control in diabetes mellitus.

SUMMARY

PRL plays a diverse role in men's reproduction and health. Detecting and treating elevated PRL may not only improve infertility and hypogonadism but also have a positive effect on the metabolic profile of patient and control of glycemic control and metabolic profile - an important advantage considering dramatic and worldwide increase in obesity and diabetes.

Prolactin and autoimmunity

Sex hormones, especially estrogen and prolactin (PRL), have an important role in modulating the immune response. PRL is secreted from the pituitary gland as well as other organs and cells particularly lymphocytes. PRL has an immune stimulatory effect and promotes autoimmunity. PRL interferes specifically with B cell tolerance induction, enhances proliferative response to antigens and mitogens and increases the production of immune globulins, cytokines and autoantibodies. Hyperprolactinemia (HPRL) in women present with clinical manifestations of galactorrhea, primary or secondary amenorrhea, delayed menarche or a change in the menses either in the amount or in the regularity. Furthermore in the last 2 decades multi-organ and organ specific autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjogren's syndrome (SS), Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), multiple sclerosis (MS), psoriasis, hepatitis C patients, Behçet's disease, peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) and active celiac disease were discussed to be associated with HPRL. There is data showing correlation between PRL level and diseases activity in few diseases. Genetic factors may have a role in humans as in animal models. The PRL isoforms based on the differences in the amino acid sequence and size of the cytoplasmic domain have an important effect on the bioactivity on prolactin receptors (PRL-Rs).