Surgical treatment of pituitary prolactinomas: postoperative prolactin and fertility in seventy patients.

The surgical results obtained in 70 patients with pituitary prolactinomas indicate that the success of surgery depends on the preoperative prolactin level and the diameter of the adenoma, and that the former is the more influential factor. Assessment of both of these parameters affords a good prediction of the endocrine result. The cure rates for different patient groups ranged from 4% to 90%. Postoperative results in women (57% with normal prolactin levels) were better than those in men (17% with normal prolactin levels). Of 19 women who desired pregnancy, 11 (58%) achieved successful pregnancies; 1 woman became pregnant twice. In addition, one woman had an extrauterine pregnancy and one suffered a spontaneous abortion. Five required additional bromocriptine therapy. The data were evaluated analytically.