[Detection of asymptomatic prolactinoma by a mass screening program].

Mass screening for prolactinoma was performed among the general population of 10,550 normal adults (8,450 men and 2,100 women) using a paired assay method for serum PRL. Forty subjects with hyperprolactinemia were studied. There were five patients with pituitary prolactinoma, and 10 with 'big' prolactinemia. The patients with prolactinoma had few if any complaints. The occurrence of asymptomatic big prolactinemia showed marked female predominance. The implication of such a screening program for laboratory medicine in future is two-fold: 1) prospect of laboratory 'physician' taking active role in the promotion of mass screening program to cover wide range of disorders affecting adult population and 2) feasibility of analyzing or discovering subclinical disorders of academic interest, being allowed to explore every single individual in the population.