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Bromocriptine treatment of prolactinoma restores growth hormone secretion and causes catch-up growth in a prepubertal child

European Journal of Pediatrics volume 163, pages 472–474 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

A 13-year-old Japanese boy with pituitary prolactinoma whose growth had been retarded for more than 2 years was treated with bromocriptine alone for 140 weeks. After treatment, the serum level of prolactin, which was 1200 ng/ml before treatment, returned to normal and the pituitary tumour seen on the initial brain MRI had rapidly decreased in size after 16 weeks of treatment. Thereafter, his height improved (from -2.1 to -1.7 SDS). Conclusion:the favourable response obtained in this patient implies that bromocriptine monotherapy can be an effective first-line treatment for children with prolactinoma.

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Fig. 1

Abbreviations

GH:

growth hormone

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Yoshimitsu Fukushima and Dr. Takayoshi Tsuchiya for clinical advice and Mr. Tomoo Yoshida for academic discussion of the clinical and laboratory data.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Paediatrics, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, 2-1-50 Minami-koshigaya, 343-8555, Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan

    Satoru Sakazume, Kazuo Obata, Etsurou Takahashi, Atsunori Yoshino, Nobuyuki Murakami, Ryoich Sakuta, Takayasu Murai & Toshiro Nagai

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  1. Satoru Sakazume
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  2. Kazuo Obata
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  3. Etsurou Takahashi
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  4. Atsunori Yoshino
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  5. Nobuyuki Murakami
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  6. Ryoich Sakuta
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  7. Takayasu Murai
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  8. Toshiro Nagai
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Correspondence to Toshiro Nagai.

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Sakazume, S., Obata, K., Takahashi, E. et al. Bromocriptine treatment of prolactinoma restores growth hormone secretion and causes catch-up growth in a prepubertal child. Eur J Pediatr 163, 472–474 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-004-1454-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-004-1454-5

Keywords

  • Bromocriptine
  • Growth hormone
  • Pituitary dysfunction
  • Prolactinoma