Galactorrhea: Rapid Evidence Review.

Galactorrhea is the production of breast milk that is not the result of physiologic lactation. Milky nipple discharge within one year of pregnancy and the cessation of breastfeeding is usually physiologic. Galactorrhea is more often the result of hyperprolactinemia caused by medication use or pituitary microadenomas, and less often hypothyroidism, chronic renal failure, cirrhosis, pituitary macroadenomas, hypothalamic lesions, or unidentifiable causes. A pregnancy test should be obtained for premenopausal women who present with galactorrhea. In addition to prolactin and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels, renal function should also be assessed. Medications contributing to hyperprolactinemia should be discontinued if possible. Treatment of galactorrhea is not needed if prolactin and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels are normal and the discharge is not troublesome to the patient. Magnetic resonance imaging of the pituitary gland should be performed if the cause of hyperprolactinemia is unclear after a medication review and laboratory evaluation. Cabergoline is the preferred medication for treatment of hyperprolactinemia. Transsphenoidal surgery may be necessary if prolactin levels do not improve and symptoms persist despite high doses of cabergoline and in patients who cannot tolerate dopamine agonist therapy.

Management of Nipple Discharge.

Nipple discharge is the third most common breast-related complaint but is rarely the presenting symptom of breast cancer. Distinguishing patients with physiologic versus pathologic nipple discharge, and treating the later according to the underlying pathologic condition is of utmost importance. Nipple discharge is categorized as lactational, physiologic, or pathologic. Physiologic nipple discharge (galactorrhea) is typically caused by hyperprolactinemia due to medications (ie, antipsychotics), pituitary tumors, and endocrine disorders. When a suspicious radiologic lesion is identified, pathologic assessment of the lesion is indicated. Patients with pathologic nipple discharge should be referred to a breast surgeon for definitive treatment and follow-up.

Galactorrhea After Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy: Case Report, Review of the Literature, and Algorithmic Approach to Management.

ABSTRACT: Nipple discharge is a rare but possible occurrence after nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM). This study presents the first case of galactorrhea in a female patient after NSM. Although milky discharge due to physiologic lactation related to pregnancy is more common, galactorrhea is still possible and should be worked up appropriately to ensure that all breast tissue has been removed and that there are no other more worrisome causes.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica): An Unusual Case of Galactorrhea.

BACKGROUND The increasing popularity and availability of herbal supplements among patients necessitates a better understanding of their mechanism of action and the effects they have on the body, both intended and unintended. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is an herbaceous shrub found throughout the world that has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. CASE REPORT A 30-year-old woman with obesity and GERD presented to a primary care clinic with new-onset galactorrhea. A urine pregnancy test was negative. Prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and a metabolic panel were all within normal limits. A mammogram demonstrated scattered areas of fibroglandular density and benign-appearing calcifications in the left breast. The breast ultrasound showed no suspicious findings. Her medications included intermittent Echinacea, etonogestrel implant 68 mg subdermal, and the supplement stinging nettle 500 mg, which she had been taking over the past month for environmental allergies. After consultation with a clinical pharmacist, the stinging nettle was discontinued. No additional changes to her medications or supplements were made. One week after discontinuation, she returned to the clinic with complete resolution of the galactorrhea. CONCLUSIONS Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a common supplement and has effects on (1) sex hormone-binding globulin, (2) histamine-induced prolactin release, and (3) serotonin-induced release of thyrotropin-releasing hormone. The local estrogen bioactivity in breast tissue may subsequently lead to gynecomastia and/or galactorrhea. Supplements are an often overlooked but a critical component of medication reconciliation and potential clinical adverse effects.

NEUROLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF PROLACTINOMA (CASE REPORT).

This article describes a clinical case of prolactinoma, the onset of which was diagnosed after long-term use of eglonil, after the appearance of such side effects as galactorrhea. This clinical case is a unique one because of the peculiarities of diagnostic search. The first complaints of the patient were anxiety and fear, fatigue, frequent mood swings, memory disoders. She was examined by a family physician and prescribed eglonil (sulpiride) 200mg for 7 days. Because of the positive effect the patient decided on her own to continue treatment for another several weeks. But suddenly she revealed a leakage of milk from the mammary glands. The family physician assessed galactorrhea as a side effect of long-term use of eglonil, and cancelled this prescription. Simultaneously the family doctor canceled COCs, that the patient used for the last several years, because of pregnancy planning. But three months later the mensis didn't occur. The menstrual cycle did not resume and pregnancy did not occur even 6 months later. Thus the doctor started to perform complete examination of the patient. Unfortunately, during the diagnostic search the patient rejected to do the contrast and primarily was performed MRI without contrast. The doctor revealed abnormal prolactin level - 423 ng/ml (normal range <25 ng/ml). Finally MRI of the pitutary including dynamic contrast was done. It has demonstrated an 8 x 11 mm mass in pituitary gland. The patient was prescribed conservative treatment according to the protocol. As a result, subsequent monthly control laboratory tests of prolactin levels in blood indicated gradual decrease of its level. Thus the first symptoms of prolactinoma may be atypical and can be detected only by a detailed survey and observation of the patient. It is also known that the severity of symptoms depends on the size of prolactinomas. Large prolactinomas cause symptoms of central nervous system lesion: headaches, depression, anxiety, irritability, emotional instability but in our clinical case, the prolactinoma was small but manifests with severe symptoms of the central nervous system lesion (according to the results of HADScale and MoCA scale). The presence of concomitant pathology can mask or distort the symptoms of another disease that complicates the diagnosis. On the other hand, treatment of one of the comorbidities and improving its course leads to a reduction in the manifestations of the others.

A case report on azathioprine-induced euprolactinemic galactorrhea.

Galactorrhea is characterized as an inappropriate discharge of milk-containing fluid from the breast. It has various causes including physiological and pathological. It may also be caused by many drugs. Although galactorrhea is usually associated with increased serum prolactin levels, it has been reported to occur in the absence of hyperprolactinemia. Cases of azathioprine-induced galactorrhea with normal prolactin level in a 22-year-old female patient with prurigo have been reported. It was noticed that the patient had no history of galactorrhea in the past.

Very late recurrence of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia masquerading as a pituitary tumor.

Involvement of the pituitary gland by leukemic infiltration is exceedingly rare. Here, we describe a very late recurrence of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia masquerading as a pituitary tumor and review the literature for previously reported cases. Our female patient presented 13 years after completion of therapy for B-ALL with headache, amenorrhea, galactorrhea and a pituitary mass. Subsequent studies revealed recurrence of her leukemia, and the pituitary lesion resolved after induction chemotherapy. Our case highlights the importance of considering leukemic infiltrate in the differential diagnosis of pituitary mass, particularly in a patient with a history of hematologic malignancy, sparing unnecessary surgical intervention and informing endocrine evaluation. In addition, the case also highlights difficulties with characterizing this recurrence as a very late relapse or clonal evolution of the original leukemia.

[Duloxetine Associated Galactorrhea and Hyperprolactinemia: A Case Report]. / Duloksetin Tedavisi ile Iliskili Galaktore ve Hiperprolaktinemi: Bir Olgu Sunumu.

Duloxetine is a serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). The noradrenergic effects contribute to the treatment of painful physical symptoms. Hyperprolactinaemia and galactorrhea are recognized side effects of psychotropic drugs used in the treatment of psychiatric diseases. Although hyperprolactinaemia is a known side effect of the tricyclic antidepressants, evidence on hyperprolactinaemia and galactorrhoea induced by the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the SNRIs is limited. Hyperprolactinaemia due to SSRI or SNRI therapy is usually asymptomatic and is diagnosed after a detailed examination of the patient following the emergence of galactorrhea. In this report, a case who developed amenorrhea, galactorrhea, and hyper-prolactinaemia identified at the 5th month of duloxetine for major depression will be discussed. After a month of drug-free period and cabergoline treatment, the prolactin levels returned to normal.

Galactocele After Aesthetic Breast Augmentation with Silicone Implants: An Uncommon Presentation.

BACKGROUND: Breast augmentation is one of the most frequently performed esthetic operations. Galactorrhea and galactocele formation are both very rare complications. The real cause still remains unknown, but various risk factors have been well reported in the literature. This report concerns a case of postoperative galactocele following bilateral breast augmentation via the inframammary approach with dual-plane insertion of implants, which is usually considered a protective approach in terms of risk factors for induction of postoperative galactorrhea. METHODS: The patient had no significant surgical, gynecological or medical history, including galactorrhea or hyperprolactinemia, and did not present any chest wall abnormalities. There has been no use of oral contraceptives or any other drugs. After the surgical procedure, the patient presented with infection-like symptoms, for which galactorrhea or galactocele was initially not considered, mainly for the absence of specific risk factors. RESULTS: After antibiotic and bromocriptine therapy, her breast returned to normal, with no pain, inflammation, enlargement or esthetic alterations. After 6 months of follow-up, the patient did not present any abnormality and she was satisfied with the result. CONCLUSION: With our report, we want to underline that galactorrhea and galactocele cannot be ruled out, even in patients with no risk factors and with procedures considered as "protective." With a fast diagnosis and a specific therapy, implants and final result can be rescued. Level of Evidence V This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Good clinical history scores over extensive workup in unmasking a case of galactorrhoea.

The clinical presentation of a young woman with galactorrhoea is described in detail including the history and clinical examination findings. While the patient and her family members feared a serious medical condition which had so far been an obscurity despite a number of investigations, we tried to diagnose the patient starting from the basics, which after a proper history revealed a levosulpiride-induced galactorrhoea. This again lays emphasis on the old adage in medical field that 'a proper history and examination are the key to diagnosis'. There are few reports pertaining to levosulpiride-induced galactorrhoea making it a rare side effect of this drug. We further try to discuss the different causes of galactorrhoea in a young non-pregnant woman which can be encountered in clinical practice.

Impact of macroprolactin on galactorrhea and the rate of patients possibly affected by macroprolactin.

The clinical influence of macroprolactin (MPRL) is not clearly understood and the rate of patients potentially affected by MPRL is unknown. We investigated the influence of MPRL on the onset of galactorrhea and estimated the rate of patients with a proportion of MPRL fraction that may possibly affect galactorrhea. Data of patients with obstetric or gynecological symptoms who had undergone PRL fractionation testing were retrospectively analyzed. To evaluate factors influencing galactorrhea, a multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed and the adjusted odds ratios of MPRL for galactorrhea were calculated. Cutoff values for the total PRL level and the proportion of MPRL fractions for galactorrhea were determined by ROC analysis using a multivariate logistic model. The prevalence of patients with a proportion of MPRL fraction greater than or equal to the cutoff value for galactorrhea was estimated. The median proportion of MPRL fraction was 30.1% and increased as PRL level increased. Total PRL and MPRL had a significant influence on the onset of galactorrhea and the adjusted odds ratio was 1.09 in total PRL and 0.94 in MPRL. The rate of patients with a proportion of MPRL fraction that may possibly affect galactorrhea was estimated to be 33.5% of the study population, and thus found to be twelve times or more the number of macroprolactinemia patients. Future prospects for hyperprolactinemia may require diagnostic criteria using free prolactin levels and so MPRL fraction measurement is important for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with obstetric and gynecological symptoms.

[Prolactin-secreting microadenoma in menopausal women]. / Micro adénome à prolactine à l'âge de la ménopause.

Prolactin-secreting adenoma is rare in elderly women. Patient's clinical picture may be confused with that of menopause, making diagnosis sometimes difficult. We report the case of a 57-year old woman with a 2-year history of secondary amenorrhea without hot flushes associated with galactorrhea in order to highlight the peculiarities of prolactin-secreting microadenomas. Physical examination confirmed the diagnosis of galactorrhoea and biology showed hyperprolactinemia at mIU/L, FSH = 15.1 IU/L and LH = 4,1 IU/L. Pituitary MRI showed left adenoma measuring 8 mm. Patient's evolution under dopaminergic treatment was marked by the recovery, for a transitional period, of mestrual cycles and the occurrence of hot flushes, normalization of prolactin levels and reduction of adenoma size.