Table 1.
Common reasons for requesting serum prolactin level testing in patients with hyperprolactinaemia (N = 461)
| Reason* | n (%)† | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Female (n = 316) | Male (n = 145) | ||
| Menstrual disorders | 136 (43) | - | 136 (29.5) |
| Infertility | 57 (18) | 26 (17.9) | 83 (18) |
| Work-up/follow-up on sellar masses | 33 (10.4) | 33 (22.8) | 66 (14.3) |
| To exclude seizures | 18 (5.7) | 44 (30.3) | 62 (13.4) |
| Screening while on psychiatric drugs | 23 (7.3) | 17 (11.7) | 40 (8.7) |
| Hirsutism | 31 (9.8) | - | 31 (6.7) |
| Galactorrhoea | 24 (7.6) | 3 (2.1) | 27 (5.9) |
| Other‡ | 30 (9.5) | 14 (9.7) | 44 (9.7) |
| Erectile dysfunction | - | 13 (9) | 13 (2.8) |
*
Reasons for prolactin testing were unknown in 46 patients (25 females and 21 males).
†
Percentages do not add up to 100 as patients may have had multiple reasons.
‡
Other reasons included headaches (n = 9), hypopituitarism (n = 7), lactation difficulties (n = 7), breast pain (n = 6), gynaecomastia (n = 5), delayed puberty (n = 3), testicular pain (n = 2), recurrent miscarriages (n = 2), decreased libido (n = 2) and acne (n = 1).