[Prolactinoma in the male. Preoperative evaluation of 40 patients]

Forty male patients with a prolactinoma were studied. The majority of tumors were large. Eight (20%) were microadenomas. Loss of libido and sexual impotence, the most frequent symptoms, were found in 82,5% of cases. Gynecomastia with galactorrhea was noted in six cases. Seven patients had hypopituitarism and nine visual field defects. Prolactin levels ranged from 30 to 7,000 ng/ml. The mean baseline prolactin value was higher in the group of invasive adenomas or enclosed adenomas with a suprasellar expansion. The LH-RH test, performed on twenty-eight patients, showed an abnormal response in 80% of the cases.