Treatment of pituitary macroadenomas secreting PRL, HGH or ACTH with long-acting bromocriptine

Abstract

Long-acting im bromocriptine was administered to 7 patients with pituitary macroadenomas (4 acromegalics, 1 Nelson's syndrome and 2 prolactinomas), with good tolerance except during the first 24 h. During a 42-day period hormonal, CT-scan and visual field variations were followed. In acromegalics HGH decrease was not evident, except in some isolated sample. In Nelson's syndrome ACTH showed a 94% fall on day 14, even though a spontaneous oscillation cannot be ruled out, and recovery took place from day 21 on. PRL remained undetectable in both. In prolactinomas, PRL suffered a great decrease (91.8% and 96.3% on days 21 and 28 respectively) and remained well below its initial values up to the end of the study, in spite of partial recovery. In these 2 patients CT-scan evidenced shrinkage of tumor mass, which was not observed in the remaining 5 cases. Visual fields did not improve in the 2 cases initially affected (Nelson's syndrome and 1 prolactinoma). Long-acting bromocriptine seems to have the same therapeutic uses of the oral form with the possible advantage of a better tolerance of full initial doses.