J Korean Soc Endocrinol.  2002 Feb;17(1):32-42.

Comparison of Treatment Modalities in Hyperprolactinemia

• Park SH
• Jeon HJ
• Park DJ
• Park KS
• Kim SY
• Cho BY
• Lee HK

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Prolactinomas have been treated primarily with bromocriptine, a dopamine agonists, rather than by transsphenoidal pituitary adenomectomy. However, lower success rates, as well as intolerance or resistance to medical therapy, have been reported in some recent series. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of surgery and bromocriptine in the treatment of prolactinomas patients. Also we investigated the natural history and effects of bromocriptine on patients with idiopathic hyperprolactinemia. METHEODS: We retrospectively compared the effects of treatment with surgery and with bromocriptine in 27 idiopathic hyperprolactinemia patients, 35 microprolactinoma patients and 61 macroprolactinoma patients.
RESULTS
(1) In 14 patients with untreated idiopathic hyperprolactinemia, 8 (57%) achieved remission. In patients without remission, preoperative serum prolactin level was significantly higher than patients with remission (p<0.05). In 13 patients on bromocriptine, 11 (85%) achieved remission, while the other 2, taking bromocriptine irregularly because of side effects, had persistent hyperprolactinemia. (2) In 35 patients with microprolactinoma, 11 (30%) surgery as initial therapy and surgical remission was achieved in only 5 of the 11 (45%). In 23 patients on bromocriptine, 17 (74%) achieved remission. Among the 6 patients without remission, 5 patients took bromocriptine irregularly because of side effect. (3) In 61 patients with macroprolactinoma, 49 (80%) underwent surgery as initial therapy and surgical remission was achieved in only 9 of the 49 (18%). In 50 patients on bromocriptine, 30 (60%) achieved remission. Among the 20 patients without remission, 13 took bromocriptine irregularly because of side effect and 5 were resistant to bromocriptine.
CONCLUSION
In idiopathic hyperprolactinemia, the requirement for medical treatment is doubtful because of a high tendency to ward spontaneous cure. In spite of the low success rate, surgery has been used as the primary therapy for prolactinoma in Korea. And yet, medical treatment with bromocriptine is superior to surgery. However, irrgular administration of medication due to drug side effects was the main cause of the low success rate. Therefore, the necessity for new drug development is emphasized

MeSH Terms

Bromocriptine
Dopamine Agonists
Humans
Hyperprolactinemia*
Korea
Natural History
Prolactin
Prolactinoma
Retrospective Studies
Bromocriptine
Dopamine Agonists
Prolactin