Severe hyperprolactinemia associated with internal carotid artery aneurysm: differential diagnosis between prolactinoma and hypothalamic-pituitary disconnection

Patients with Invasive Tumors and eNOS Gene Polymorphisms with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Tend to Have Poorer Prognosis

Context  Endothelial nitric oxide synthase ( eNOS) gene polymorphisms are found to predict predisposition to aneurysmal rupture and development of vasospasm in a patient of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). eNOS gene polymorphisms are also found to predict invasiveness of malignant cells. Studies are not available in literature to describe the effect of eNOS gene polymorphisms and correlation between aneurysm and carcinoma. This study aims to investigate whether positive cancer history influences clinical outcome following SAH and eNOS gene polymorphisms.

Materials and Methods  The eNOS gene polymorphisms were analyzed in seven consecutive patients (mean age, 52.28 ± 20 years) with a diagnosis of invasive systemic tumors from 2011 to 2017. The eNOS 4a/4b eNOS -786T> eNOS 894G > T polymorphisms of the eNOS gene were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Results  Seven patients of aneurysmal SAH in association with malignancies were studied for eNOS polymorphisms expression and outcome. Three patients had carcinoma cervix: one patient of carcinoma breast and one each of transitional cell carcinoma of urinary bladder, spindle cell carcinoma of left kidney, and untreated patient of atypical pituitary (adenoma). A genotype study of eNOS gene polymorphisms in these patients shows common polymorphisms are involved in the determination of disease progression in malignancies and aneurysmal SAH.

Conclusion  Patients who expressed 4ab, eNOS -786T > TT/CC/TC, eNOS 894G > T GG/GT polymorphisms did better than patients who expressed only 4bb, though both were associated with poor prognosis.

Inadvertent internal carotid artery (ICA) injury during transsphenoidal surgery: review of literature

Background

Internal carotid artery (ICA) injury is a hazardous catastrophe for the skull base surgery team. We aimed to illustrate the vital joints in this hazardous event during endoscopic surgery.

Main text

The condition is rare (1.1%) but fatal per se. Working in the field of endoscopic surgery is not free of charges. It demands a thorough knowledge of anatomy, variations, and pathoanatomy to expect what can be seen thereafter. Once the injury occurs, one must have a quite clear plan to proceed. Marvelous bleeding is confusing not only in the field but also in the mind process.

Conclusion

Endoscope teams when expose to this event should think in a stepwise manner. In our review, we explained the pathoanatomy of the field after an injury, pre-conditions of injury, and how to avoid certain drawbacks during management.

The protective effects of prolactin on brain injury

AIMS

Brain injuries based on their causes are divided into two categories, TBI and NTBI. TBI is caused by damages such as head injury, but non-physical injury causes NTBI. Prolactin is one of the blood factors that increase during brain injury. It has been assumed to play a regenerative role in post-injury recovery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this review, various valid papers from electronic sources (including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, SID, Google Scholar, and ISI databases) used, which in them the protective effect of prolactin on brain injury investigated.

KEY FINDINGS

Inflammation following brain injury with the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the affected area can even lead to excitotoxicity and cell death in the damaged area. Medical brain damage treatments are long-term, and can have several side effects. Therefore, it is better to consider medication treatments that have fewer side effects and greater efficacy. Research suggests that prolactin has numerous regenerative effects on brain injury, and prevents cell death. Prolactin is one of the hormones produced in the body; therefore it has fewer side effects and may be more effective because it increases during brain injury.

SIGNIFICANCE

Prolactin can be used peripherally and centrally, and exerts its neuro regenerative effects against further damage post-TBI and NTBI.

Vasculogenic hyperprolactinemia: severe prolactin excess in association with internal carotid artery aneurysms

PURPOSE

Internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms have rarely been found in association with marked hyperprolactinemia in the absence of prolactinoma; the cause of hyperprolactinemia has never been investigated. We aimed to determine if the observed hyperprolactinemia is due to a vascular-derived or known prolactin secretagogue from the injured ICA, analogous to pregnancy-associated hyperprolactinemia putatively due to placental factors.

METHODS

We conducted a case series and literature review of individuals with severe hyperprolactinemia in association with ICA aneurysms. In two affected patients at our institutions, we performed RT-PCR and ELISA of prolactin secretagogues that are produced by vascular tissue and/or upregulated in pregnancy: AGT (encoding angiotensinogen), TAC1 (encoding substance P), HDC (encoding the enzyme responsible for conversion of histidine to histamine), and prolactin-releasing hormone (PRLH). Patient blood samples were compared to pregnancy blood samples (positive controls) and middle-aged male blood samples (negative controls).

RESULTS

Two men presented with serum prolactin >100-fold normal associated with cavernous ICA aneurysms and no pituitary adenoma. Aneurysm stenting in one man more than halved his serum prolactin. In both men, dopamine agonist therapy markedly reduced serum prolactin. RT-PCR and ELISA showed no differences between patients and controls in AGT, TAC1 or HDC expression or PRLH titre, respectively. Literature review revealed 11 similar cases.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose the term 'vasculogenic hyperprolactinemia' to encompass the hyperprolactinemia associated with ICA aneurysms. This may be mediated by an endothelial factor capable of paracrine stimulation of lactotrophs; however, angiotensin II, substance P, histamine and PRLH appear unlikely to be causative.

Challenges and pitfalls in the diagnosis of hyperprolactinemia

The definition of the etiology of hyperprolactinemia often represents a great challenge and an accurate diagnosis is paramount before treatment. Although prolactin levels > 200-250 ng/mL are highly suggestive of prolactinomas, they can occasionally be found in other conditions. Moreover, as much as 25% of patients with microprolactinomas may present prolactin levels < 100 ng/mL, which are found in most patients with pseudoprolactinomas, drug-induced hyperprolactinemia, or systemic diseases. On the other hand, some conditions may lead to falsely low PRL levels, particularly the so-called hook effect, that is an assay artifact caused by an extremely high level of PRL, and can be confirmed by repeating assay after a 1:100 serum sample dilution. The hook effect must be considered in all patients with large pituitary adenomas and PRL levels within the normal range or only modestly elevated (e.g., < 200 ng/mL). An overlooked hook effect may lead to incorrect diagnosis and unnecessary surgical intervention in patients with prolactinomas. Another important challenge is macroprolactinemia, a common finding that needs to be identified, as it usually requires no treatment. Although most macroprolactinemic patients are asymptomatic, many of them may present galactorrhea or menstrual disorders, as well as neuroradiological abnormalities, due to the concomitance of other diseases. Finally, physicians should be aware that pituitary incidentalomas are found in at least 10% of adult population.

A case of an ectopic prolactinoma

A 34-year-old female presented to our clinic with a 1.5 year history of secondary amenorrhea and galactorrhea. Prolactin (PRL) level was found to be 151.89 ng/ml. Pituitary imaging was reported to be normal. An examination of the patient revealed that PRL level was still high so the dose of cabergoline was further increased and subsequently, bromocriptine was added to the treatment. There was no reduction in PRL levels in controls. A scanning was performed to look for an ectopic focus. Abdominal computerized tomography revealed a heterogenous mass lesion originating from the uterus. Octreotide scintigraphy was performed and we observed an involvement consistent with the mass in the uterus. The patient underwent abdominal total hysterectomy. PRL dropped to 0.4 ng/ml the next day after the operation. The pathology result was a low-grade malignant mesenchymal tumor. Prolactin was found to be immunohistochemically negative. However, galactorrhea disappeared postoperative and PRL levels are still low. Elevated levels of PRL, resistant to bromocriptine and cabergoline, rapidly returned to normal after hysterectomy, which obviously indicates that hyperprolactinemia was associated with the myoma of the uterus.