Korean J Urol.
1992 Feb;33(1):115-118.
Hyperprolactinemia in impotence
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Urology, Presbyterian Medical Center, Jeonju and Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
- Hyperprolactinemia has been accepted as a cause of male sexual dysfunction. Pituitary adenomas produce marked elevation of prolactin and invariably are accompanied by hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Among 994 consecutive impotent patients investigated at Severance Hospital 62 patients had serum levels of prolactin greater than 30ng./ml. Six of 27 patients(22.2 % ) who had serum levels of prolactin greater than 50ng./ml. with decreased serum testosterone (less than 3.0ng. ,ml) or senJm levels of prolactin greater than 100ng.,ml. irrespective of testosterone were diagnosed to have pituitary adenoma by skull X-ray series and brain CT with or without cine angiography. It is therefore emphasized that pituitary adenoma should be considered in the investigation of impotence of endocrine causes when marked hyperprolactinemia (especially greater than 100ng./ml.) is noted.
