Acromegalic patients with hyperprolactinaemia

Acromegaly is a rare disease characterised by excessive secretion of GH and increased circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1). In most cases this increase in GH secretion is due to pituitary GH-producing tumours. Further, about 16–27% of these patients have both increased GH and prolactin (PRL) levels. However, only limited comprehensive detailed data is available on acromegalic patients with hyperprolactinaemia.

Wang et al. therefore, evaluated the clinical features and hormonal changes in 279 acromegalic patients with hyperprolactinaemia treated with transsphenoidal surgery in a retrospective study. Compared with patients with merely GH-secreting adenomas, acromegalic patients with hyperprolactinaemia were characterized by an earlier onset of disease, lesser acromegalic features, lower GH levels, but larger tumor sizes, whereas in female patients, GH–PRL secreting adenomas are associated with higher incidences of menstrual disorders and galactorrhoea.

This is the first study to report the characteristics of acromegalic patients with hyperprolactinaemia and the differences between acromegalic patients with and without hyperprolactinaemia. Wang et al. (2012) European Journal of Endocrinology 166 797-802.

Read the full article at: DOI: 10.1530/EJE-11-1119.