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Pituitary function before, during, and after chronic gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy
M I Cedars1, K A Steingold, J H Lu
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California-Los Angeles.
Objective:
To examine possible adverse effects on pituitary function of long-term administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a).
Design:
Prospective analysis of blood sampling before, during, and after GnRH-a therapy.
Setting:
Tertiary institutional outpatient care.
Patients:
Twelve normally ovulatory women with a diagnosis of endometriosis.
Interventions:
Six-month suppression with GnRH-a.
Main Outcome Measures:
Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, free thyroxin index, cortisol (F), growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).
Results:
Basal and stimulated values of gonadotropins, PRL, F, TSH, and GH were normal and unchanged by 6 months of GnRH-a after resumption of menses.
Conclusions:
Utilizing dynamic pituitary function tests, we were unable to demonstrate an adverse effect of long-term GnRH-a therapy on pituitary function.