There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
Hyperprolactinemia is common in patients with renal failure. Because radiographic
contrast material given during a computed tomographic (CT) scan of the sella as part
of the evaluation for prolactinoma worsens renal insufficiency, we attempted to define
the point at which hyperprolactinemia becomes an expected finding in patients with
renal insufficiency in this study. Of 59 patients with serum creatinine levels of
1.5 to 12 mg/dL, 16 (27.1%) were hyperprolactinemic. Of these 16, nine were not taking
medications known to raise prolactin levels and their prolactin levels were less than
100 ng/mL. In the eight patients taking medications prolactin levels were much higher.
In one patient the prolactin level fell from 2,210 to 100 ng/mL when methyldopa was
discontinued. In patients with chronic renal failure prolactin levels were similar
regardless of the method of dialysis. We conclude that in the absence of medications
known to affect prolactin secretion, hyperprolactinemia occurs infrequently (18.3%)
and, when it occurs, is mild (less than 100 ng/mL). Marked hyperprolactinemia may
occur in patients taking such medications. These should be stopped and the prolactin
level rechecked before a CT scan is performed.