This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Hyperprolactinaemia

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

A patient is hyperprolactinaemic if the serum concentration of prolactin is elevated.

Hyperprolactinaemia may be

  • physiological, due to:
    • pregnancy
    • lactation
    • stress

  • pathological, due to for example:
    • drugs
    • a prolactinoma or other cerebral tumour
    • ectopic prolactin synthesis

What level of prolactin is significant?(1)

  • mildly increased prolactin levels (400-600mu/L) may be physiological and asymptomatic but higher levels are usually pathological
    • should be repeated to confirm hyperprolactinaemia
  • very elevated levels (above 5,000mu/L) usually imply a prolactin-secreting pituitary tumour

Note that reference ranges vary between laboratories.

Notes:

  • prolactin secretion varies with time, resulting in serum levels being 2-3 times higher at night than during the day. The levels of prolactin in normal individuals also tend to rise in response to physiological stimuli, including sleep, exercise, pregnancy and surgical stress (2)
  • most patients with a prolactinoma are women
  • reliance on a single, non-rested prolactin value may lead to over-diagnosis of hyperprolactinaemia. A resting sample should be considered with random values <2,000 mU/L (94 ng/mL) (3)

Reference:


Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.