Prolactinoma natural history, complications, and prognosis

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Faizan Sheraz, M.D. [2]

Overview

In 95% of cases, prolactinoma will not show any signs of growth after a 4 to 6 year period. Prognosis is excellent for microprolactinoma. Macroprolactinomas often require more aggressive treatment otherwise they may continue to grow. Complications of prolactinoma include intracranial hemorrhage, osteoporosis and vision loss.

Natural History

If left untreated, 95% of cases of prolactinoma will not show any signs of growth after a 4 to 6 year period.

Prognosis

Prognosis is excellent for microprolactinoma. There is no way to reliably predict the rate of growth, as it is different for every individual.Depending on the size of the tumor and how much of it is removed, studies show that 20 to 50 percent will recur, usually within 5 years.

Complications

Complications of prolactinoma include:

• Bleeding (intracranial)
• Tumor regrowth (after resection)
• Blindness
• In pregnancy excessive estrogen may cause increased tumor growth
• Osteoporosis