Clinical use of metoclopramide test in the diagnosis of women with hyperprolactinemia.

UNLABELLED

14 women with elevated prolactin (PRL) serum levels (greater than 25 ng/ml) were given 2.5 mg of metoclopramide, by bolus intravenous injection, to evaluate its diagnosic potential as a stimulus for PRL release. Following metoclopramide injection there was a prompt increase in serum PRL in normal subjects and in patients with moderate PRL elevations associated with galactorrhea-oligomenorrhea. The women with amenorrhea-galactorrhea regardless of the presence of absence of a pituitary tumor, showed a blunted response. Metoclopramide failed to induce TSH secretion in all cases.

IN CONCLUSION

the use of the metoclopramide test provides no additional clinical information to that furnished by the basal serum PRL concentration for the hyperprolactinemic patient.