[Determination of prolactin secretion in idiopathic galactorrhea]

We have studied 15 women with idiopathic galactorrhoea and normal serum PRL basal values, regularly menstruating, with normal x-ray of the sella turcica and mammography. The patients were not suffering from other endocrine diseases nor taking medications known to cause galactorrhoea. These subjects and 5 normal women were submitted to an evaluation of the serum PRL circadian rhythm, to TRH test for PRL and TSH, metoclopramide test for PRL, and basal determination of TT3 and TT4. The results did not show any significant difference between the two groups and did not reveal any abnormality of PRL secretion in the patients. These data, resulting from a homogeneous series of patients, support the hypothesis of an increased sensitivity of breast receptors to PRL, or of the secretion of heterogeneous forms of PRL, biologically active on mammary tissue, but not detected by current RIA methods for PRL.