Hyperprolactinemia

Excerpt

Prolactin hormone is exclusively synthesized and secreted from lactotrophs of the anterior pituitary gland. The secretion rate of prolactin is about 200 to 536 mcg/day/meter square and the half-life is 25 to 50 minutes. Prolactin is metabolized by the liver (75%) and the kidney (25%). The basal level of prolactin in women averages 13 ng/ml and in men, it averages 5 ng/ml. The upper normal limit of serum prolactin level in most laboratories is 15 to 20 ng/ml. When the amount of serum prolactin exceeds the upper limit, we call it hyperprolactinemia. The common causes of hyperprolactinemia can be physiological, pathological, or drug-induced. Patients with hyperprolactinemia may remain asymptomatic or can present with signs and symptoms of hypogonadism and galactorrhea.