oa Paraneoplastic hyperprolactinemia

A 38-year-old female patient, known to have widespread adenocarcinoma of an unknown primary, presented with galactorrhoea and amenorrhoea for a few months. The serum prolactin level was markedly elevated (more than 20-fold the upper normal limit). A pituitary C.T. Scan was normal. Other causes of marked hyperprolactinaemia were excluded.

Ectopic Prolactin production is an interesting phenomenon, only four cases having been reported worldwide(1).

The diagnosis of more cases of ectopic prolactin production may help to explain some aspects of osteoporosis and hypogonadism in patients with internal malignancy.