Abstract
Objectives
To determine the importance of serum prolactin (PRL) in the detection of pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) in children with multiple pituitary hormone deficiency (MPHD). We hypothesized that PRL elevation might be a diagnostic indicator of pituitary stalk pathologies.
Methods
Clinical, radiological, and laboratory features of the 50 cases of MPHD were studied.
Results
The median age at presentation of the 50 cases (52%, n=26 were female) was 6.61 (0.02–18.9) years. PSIS was detected in 60% (n=30), pituitary hypoplasia in 32% (n=16), partial empty sella in 6% (n=3), and only 2% (n=1) was reported as normal. Out of 50 patients, 21.3% (n=10) were hypoprolactinemic, 44.7% (n=19) were normoprolactinemic, and 34% (n=16) were hyperprolactinemic. The median PRL value was 27.85 (4.21–130) ng/mL in patients with PSIS and 5.57 (0–41.8) ng/mL in patients without PSIS. Additional hormone deficiencies, especially ACTH and LH were detected in follow-up.
Conclusions
Patients with normal or high prolactin levels deserve special attention regarding the possibility of PSIS. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of regular follow-up and monitoring for multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies in all patients with a single pituitary hormone deficiency.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all the physicians who participated in our study and Alan J. Newson for English language editing. (Alan J. Newson is an Academic Proofreader in İstanbul University).
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Research funding: The study was supported by Bursa Uludag University Research Project (BAP project no. 2018–5).
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Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
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Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
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Ethical approval: Ethics committee approval was obtained (2017–12/12), and the study was supported by BAP project no. 2018–5.
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Supplementary Material
The online version of this article offers supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/jpem-2022-0366).
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