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Unusual clinical presentations of giant prolactinomas

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Abstract

Giant prolactinomas are rare pituitary tumors which have scarcely been reported in the literature. We describe three men with unusual presenting features of prolactin-secreting giant pituitary adenomas: prolonged and increasingly disturbing intolerance to light and noise; strange behavior and mood disturbances; and rhinorrhea followed by a finding of cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Treatment with dopamine agonist alleviated all symptoms, with concomitant suppression of plasma prolactin levels and a significant reduction in tumor mass. These cases emphasize the importance of considering unusual symptoms in the differential diagnosis of giant prolactinomas and the effectiveness of medical treatment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Gloria Ginzach and Melanie Kawe for their editorial assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petah Tiqwa, 49100, Israel

    Simona Grozinsky-Glasberg & Ilan Shimon

  2. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Simona Grozinsky-Glasberg & Ilan Shimon

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  1. Simona Grozinsky-Glasberg
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  2. Ilan Shimon
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Correspondence to Ilan Shimon.

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Grozinsky-Glasberg, S., Shimon, I. Unusual clinical presentations of giant prolactinomas. Pituitary 14, 340–344 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-008-0160-0

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