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Quality of life in women with microprolactinoma treated with dopamine agonists

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Abstract

Objectives To evaluate QOL in women with microprolactinomas treated with dopamine agonists, comparing the patients with normal versus those with elevated prolactin levels, and to identify clinical and biochemical influences on patients’ QOL. Material and methods A cross-sectional evaluation was performed in two University referral centers. Fifty women with microprolactinoma answered the SF-36 questionnaire by the time of their clinical evaluation. Their biochemical analysis included PRL, estradiol, testosterone, and SHBG. Fifty women of similar age distribution served as controls. Results Patients had lower scores than controls in all SF-36 categories: physical functioning, physical role, pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, emotional aspect, and mental health. Within the patients’ group, the ones with normal PRL levels had higher scores than those with high PRL levels in all categories but the physical role. The physical functioning score correlated with the free androgen index, while the pain, vitality, social functioning, emotional aspect, and mental health scores were associated with the prolactin levels obtained at study entry. Conclusions QOL is impaired in women with microprolactinoma treated with dopamine agonists, and was inversely associated with the PRL levels. This latter finding reinforces the importance of providing adequate disease control for these patients in order to avoid the adverse consequences of hyperprolactinemia on QOL.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Mauricio Tostes, PhD, from the Medical Psychology and Mental Health Unit of the HUCFF/UFRJ for his assistance on QOL evaluation. They also thank the Ministry of Education of Brazil through CAPES (Coordination of Personal Development—Post-graduation Level) for supporting this work in form of PhD and MSc scholarships for E. C. O. Naliato and A. Lamounier Filho, respectively. And thank FAPERJ (Carlos Chagas Filho Research Support Foundation of Rio de Janeiro) for supporting this work in form of a research grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Hyperprolactinemia Unit, Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital (HUCFF), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Erika Cesar de Oliveira Naliato, Alice Helena Dutra Violante, Adilson Lamounier Filho, Christiane Rezende Loureiro & Mario Vaisman

  2. Av Lucio Meira 670/517 – Centro, 25953-003, Teresópolis, RJ, Brazil

    Erika Cesar de Oliveira Naliato

  3. Pituitary Unit, Luiz Capriglione State Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Dayse Caldas

  4. Diagnósticos da America S/A, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Rosita Fontes & Yolanda Schrank

  5. Medical School, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Rodrigo Gomes de Souza

  6. Section of Endocrinology, Department of Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology and Oncology, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy

    Ermelinda Guerra, Arantzazu Sebastian & Annamaria Colao

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  1. Erika Cesar de Oliveira Naliato
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  2. Alice Helena Dutra Violante
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  3. Dayse Caldas
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  4. Adilson Lamounier Filho
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  5. Christiane Rezende Loureiro
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  6. Rosita Fontes
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  7. Yolanda Schrank
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  8. Rodrigo Gomes de Souza
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  9. Mario Vaisman
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  10. Ermelinda Guerra
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  11. Arantzazu Sebastian
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  12. Annamaria Colao
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Correspondence to Erika Cesar de Oliveira Naliato.

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Cesar de Oliveira Naliato, E., Dutra Violante, A.H., Caldas, D. et al. Quality of life in women with microprolactinoma treated with dopamine agonists. Pituitary 11, 247–254 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-008-0091-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-008-0091-9

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