BACKGROUND: Primary lactotroph disinhibition, or stalk effect, occurs when mechanical compression of the pituitary stalk disrupts the tonic inhibition by dopamine released by the hypothalamus. The resolution of pituitary stalk effect-related hyperprolactinemia postoperatively has not been studied in a large cohort of patients. We performed a retrospective review to investigate the time course of recovery of lactotroph disinhibition after transsphenoidal surgery. METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for all patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery with the senior author from April 2008 to November 2014. RESULTS: Of 556 pituitary adenomas, 289 (52.0%) were eliminated: 77 (13.9%) had an immunohistochemically confirmed prolactinoma, 119 (21.4%) patients had previous surgery, 93 (16.7%) had incomplete medical records, leaving 267 patients (48.0%) for final analysis. Of these patients, 72 (27.0%) had increased serum prolactin levels (≥23.3 ng/mL), suggestive of pituitary stalk effect (maximum prolactin level = 148.0 ng/mL). Patients with stalk effect were more likely than those with normal serum prolactin levels to present with menstrual dysfunction (29.7% vs. 19.4%; P < 0.01) and galactorrhea (11.1% vs. 2.1%; P < 0.01). Patients with lactotroph disinhibition were more likely to harbor macroadenomas than were patients who did not show lactotroph disinhibition (81.9% vs. 70.2%; P = 0.06). Among patients with increased preoperative prolactin, 77.8% experienced normalization of serum prolactin postoperatively, galactorrhea improved in 100%, sexual dysfunction resolved in 66.6%, and menstrual dysfunction among premenopausal females normalized in 73.3% at last follow-up (mean, 5.35 years; range, 0.1-10 years). CONCLUSIONS: Transsphenoidal surgery can provide durable normalization of serum prolactin levels and related symptoms caused by pituitary stalk compression-related lactotroph disinhibition.
BACKGROUND: Primary lactotroph disinhibition, or stalk effect, occurs when mechanical compression of the pituitary stalk disrupts the tonic inhibition by dopamine released by the hypothalamus. The resolution of pituitary stalk effect-related hyperprolactinemia postoperatively has not been studied in a large cohort of patients. We performed a retrospective review to investigate the time course of recovery of lactotroph disinhibition after transsphenoidal surgery. METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for all patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery with the senior author from April 2008 to November 2014. RESULTS: Of 556 pituitary adenomas, 289 (52.0%) were eliminated: 77 (13.9%) had an immunohistochemically confirmed prolactinoma, 119 (21.4%) patients had previous surgery, 93 (16.7%) had incomplete medical records, leaving 267 patients (48.0%) for final analysis. Of these patients, 72 (27.0%) had increased serum prolactin levels (≥23.3 ng/mL), suggestive of pituitary stalk effect (maximum prolactin level = 148.0 ng/mL). Patients with stalk effect were more likely than those with normal serum prolactin levels to present with menstrual dysfunction (29.7% vs. 19.4%; P < 0.01) and galactorrhea (11.1% vs. 2.1%; P < 0.01). Patients with lactotroph disinhibition were more likely to harbor macroadenomas than were patients who did not show lactotroph disinhibition (81.9% vs. 70.2%; P = 0.06). Among patients with increased preoperative prolactin, 77.8% experienced normalization of serum prolactin postoperatively, galactorrhea improved in 100%, sexual dysfunction resolved in 66.6%, and menstrual dysfunction among premenopausal females normalized in 73.3% at last follow-up (mean, 5.35 years; range, 0.1-10 years). CONCLUSIONS: Transsphenoidal surgery can provide durable normalization of serum prolactin levels and related symptoms caused by pituitary stalk compression-related lactotroph disinhibition.
Authors: David J Cote; John L Kilgallon; Noah L A Nawabi; Hassan Y Dawood; Timothy R Smith; Ursula B Kaiser; Edward R Laws; JoAnn E Manson; Meir J Stampfer Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2022-03-24 Impact factor: 5.958
Authors: Na Tosha N Gatson; Maria L Boccia; Kerianne R Taylor; Jada K O Mack; Ekokobe Fonkem Journal: Curr Oncol Rep Date: 2021-08-27 Impact factor: 5.075
Authors: Guangrong Lu; Tiana M Shiver; Spiros L Blackburn; William C Yao; Meenakshi B Bhattacharjee; Jay-Jiguang Zhu Journal: Am J Case Rep Date: 2020-08-08