Prolactin Disorders

Book excerpt: This unique book will serve as a valuable resource for clinicians and researchers interested in prolactin physiology and pathophysiology and those who are involved in the care of patients with related disorders, including hyperprolactinemia and prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas. Timely and up-to-date, it opens with a review of the historical aspects of prolactin research and a discussion of pituitary anatomy and physiology. Several chapters examine basic and translational aspects of prolactin physiology, focusing on recent developments and future directions. The main portion of the book is comprised of chapters presenting the clinical aspects of prolactin excess or deficiency, with particular emphasis placed on prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas and co-secreting tumors. Concluding chapters address prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas in special populations – women in the preconception period or during pregnancy, children and adolescents, and men – as well as plurihormonal and aggressive adenomas and carcinomas. Written and edited by experts in the field, Prolactin Disorders will be a ready reference for a diverse array of professionals, from basic scientists to clinical investigators and clinicians from several specialties, including specialists in endocrinology, neurosurgery, radiation oncology and neuro-oncology.