TY - JOUR
T1 - A practical approach for the evaluation of women with abnormal polytomography or elevated prolactin levels
AU - Speroff, Leon
AU - Levin, Richard M.
AU - Haning, Ray V.
AU - Kase, Nathan G.
PY - 1979/12/1
Y1 - 1979/12/1
N2 - Based upon the experience gained in the evaluation of 60 patients with abnormal polytomography and/or elevated prolactin levels, the following observations can be made: Patients with amenorrhea, amenorrhea and galactorrhea, galactorrhea alone, or anovulatory cycles and infertility may or may not have pituitary tumors. Clinical symptoms do not always correlate with the prolactin level, and patients with normal prolactins may have pituitary tumors. The incidence of empty sella is significant (15.8% in this series). Visual field examination is not a useful screening procedure, but evaluation of thyroid function is important to detect the occasional patient with hypothyroidism (3.5% in this series.) The insulin tolerance test is not helpful in detecting the presence of pituitary tumors or in guiding management decisions, and the CT scan contributes little and should be ommitted from the evaluation process. A straightforward, economical, and efficient approach to this clinical problem is presented.
AB - Based upon the experience gained in the evaluation of 60 patients with abnormal polytomography and/or elevated prolactin levels, the following observations can be made: Patients with amenorrhea, amenorrhea and galactorrhea, galactorrhea alone, or anovulatory cycles and infertility may or may not have pituitary tumors. Clinical symptoms do not always correlate with the prolactin level, and patients with normal prolactins may have pituitary tumors. The incidence of empty sella is significant (15.8% in this series). Visual field examination is not a useful screening procedure, but evaluation of thyroid function is important to detect the occasional patient with hypothyroidism (3.5% in this series.) The insulin tolerance test is not helpful in detecting the presence of pituitary tumors or in guiding management decisions, and the CT scan contributes little and should be ommitted from the evaluation process. A straightforward, economical, and efficient approach to this clinical problem is presented.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0018631173&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0002-9378(79)90816-0
DO - 10.1016/0002-9378(79)90816-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 574360
AN - SCOPUS:0018631173
SN - 0002-9378
VL - 135
SP - 896
EP - 906
JO - American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
JF - American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
IS - 7
ER -