International Journal of Obesity (2004) 28, 183
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LETTER
Body weight and prolactinoma: a retrospective study
International Journal of Obesity (2004) 28, 183. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802492
Published online 11 November 2003
A number of studies have reported that body weight is higher
among patients with prolactinoma than in those with other
pituitary tumours.1–3 Subsequent weight loss after treatment
with dopamine agonists has also been reported,3,4 although
this has been disputed in one study that showed weight gain
after treatment.5 We therefore undertook a retrospective
study of 37 patients with prolactinoma (22 macroprolacti-
noma and 15 with microprolactinoma, defined by MRI scan
of tumour size) and related body weight changes over 24
months to changes in serum and prolactin concentrations.
All patients received dopamine agonists; in addition nine
patients with macroadenoma had surgical treatment and
four were given radiotherapy. Pituitary function was other-
wise normal in all patients with microadenoma; 14 patients
with macroadenoma had growth hormone deficiency, nine
of whom were given growth hormone replacement, 14
patients were on thyroxine, 11 were on hydrocortisone and
11 on sex hormone replacement. Although the initial body
weight with macroprolactinoma was higher than in micro-
prolactinoma, it should be noted that more than half of
these subjects were males, and that they were on average
older than those with microadenomas. Only two patients
complained of recent weight gain at the initial consultation.
Despite significant decreases in serum prolactin concentra-
tion after treatment, there were no changes in body weight
after 2 y in either group of patients (Table 1). Weight
fluctuations after treatment in individual patients were not
related to the serum prolactin concentration, or the treat-
ment given; most patients remained weight stable, and only
Table 1 Body weight and prolactin level changes over 24 months
N Initial mean body weight (kg) 24-month body weight (kg) P-value Initial mean PRL (mm/L) 24-month mean PRL (mm/L)
Microadenoma 15 (all female) 67.173.4
Macroadenoma 22 (nine female) 84.474.8
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four patients lost more than 2 kg in weight. These data
suggest that there is no relationship between circulating
prolactin concentration and changes in body weight after
treatment in patients with prolactinoma and do not support
the contention that hyperprolactinaemia is a reversible cause
of weight gain.
H Soran1, J Wilding1 and I MacFarlane1
1
Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Clinical Sciences
Centre, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK
References
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5 Delgrange E, Donckier J, Maiter D. Hyperprolactinaemia as a
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P-value
68.373.5 0.24 23507403 942.87221 0.0045
86.674.9 0.76 137657741678 766077161 o0.0001