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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffComplications of prolactinoma may include:
- Vision loss. Left untreated, a prolactinoma may grow large enough to compress your optic nerves. This usually begins with loss of peripheral vision, but can progress to blindness.
- Hypopituitarism. With larger prolactinomas, pressure on the normal pituitary gland can cause dysfunction of other hormones controlled by the pituitary, resulting in hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency and growth hormone deficiency.
- Bone loss (osteoporosis). Too much prolactin can reduce production of the hormone estrogen, resulting in decreased bone density and increasing your risk of osteoporosis.
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Pregnancy complications. During a normal pregnancy, a woman's pituitary gland enlarges and prolactin production increases. A woman who has a large prolactinoma and becomes pregnant may experience additional pituitary growth and associated signs and symptoms, such as headaches, changes in vision, nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst or urination, and extreme fatigue.
If you have a prolactinoma and you want to become or you already are pregnant, discuss the situation with your doctor because adjustments in your treatment and monitoring may be necessary.
