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macroprolactinemia
Epidemiology:
- 15-46% of hyperprolactinemia
Pathology:
- hyperprolactinemia with a predominance of HMW prolactin forms (big-big prolactin, MW > 150 kDa), likely representing prolactins monomer complexed with anti-prolactin autoantibodies
- antibody-bound prolactin is big enough to be confined to vascular spaces & is not filtered through the renal glomeruli
- thus macroprolactinemia develops due to the delayed clearance of prolactin rather than increased production
- considered a benign condition
Clinical manifestations:
- clinical symptoms are less frequent in than in other forms of hyperprolactinemia
Laboratory:
- gel filtration chromatography (gold standard)
- macroprolactin in serum
Management:
- observation
General
hyperprolactinemia
References
- Kasum M et al
Macroprolactinemia: new insights in hyperprolactinemia.
Biochem Med (Zagreb). 2012;22(2):171-9.
PMID: 22838183