Galactorrhea: a complication of spinal cord injury

Galactorrhea, a secretion of milk or milk-like products from the breast in the absence of parturition, has been reported to occur in women with spinal cord injuries in association with amenorrhea and hyperprolactinemia. Four cases of galactorrhea in association with spinal cord injury are reported. Galactorrhea developed in four spinal cord injured women who had thoracic paraplegia. The onset of galactorrhea was from one month to five months after injury. Although the onset of galactorrhea may have been related to prescribed medications in all four cases, insufficient data exist to draw conclusions. The three women whose galactorrhea persisted declined treatment and galactorrhea continuing for more than two years in one instance. We conclude that galactorrhea with or without amenorrhea may develop after a spinal cord injury and that spinal cord injured women may have an enhanced sensitivity to medication-induced galactorrhea.