Prolactinoma

This is a MR saggital image of 13 year old girls pituitary gland with a Prolactinoma. This girl was having symptoms of breast discharge and headaches. http://goldbamboo.com/pictures-t1660.html

Prolactinoma is a benign tumor of the pituitary gland that produces prolactin hormone. This is the most common type of pituitary tumor. 25 to 35 percent of all pituitary adenomas are Prolactinomas. The cause of these tumors is unknown. It has been found that most pituitary tumors are not genetically passed from parent to offspring. The symptoms are caused by too much prolactin in the blood or by pressure of the tumor on surrounding tissues. Woman may be complaining of menstruation disruption, unexplained milk secretion, visual problems, or infertility. Men may complain of impaired sexual function, headaches, visual problems, or milk secretion. When going to the doctor, the doctor will test if the prolactin levels in the blood are high. If so they may order a thyroid test, CT, or MRI. These tumors can be treated with surgery, medicine, or radiation treatments. These treatments are done to return prolactic levels to normal, reduce the tumor size, correct visual problems, and restore normal pituitary function.