Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Prolactinomas in Children and Adolescents: A Large Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Context: Prolactinoma, the most common subtype of pituitary adenoma, is rare in children and adolescents. Clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of prolactinomas in this population have been evaluated insufficiently.

Objective: To summarize the clinical features, both medication and surgical outcomes of prolactinomas in children and adolescents in a large retrospective cohort from China.

Methods: A cohort of patients with prolactinomas aged ≤20 years at diagnosis between 2012 and 2021 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: The cohort comprised 170 patients (115 females and 55 males, median age 16.6 years), with 20.0% (23/115) girls without menarche and 33.3% (18/54) boys in prepuberty. The median maximal diameter was 15.0 mm (61.2% macroadenomas and 4.6% giant adenomas), and the median baseline prolactin (PRL) level was 211.0 ng/mL. Larger sizes and higher PRL levels were observed in girls without menarche at diagnosis and in boys. Most girls presented with menstrual disturbance (86.7%), and boys were frequently bothered by headaches (42.6%), reduced height velocities (25.9%), and delayed puberty (18.2%). Dopamine agonists (DAs) were used as first-line treatment in 133 patients, and the resistance rate was 22.5% (25/111), independently associated with maximal tumor diameters (P = .035). Surgery was performed in 76 patients. Long-term surgical remission rates were 32.9% (25/76) overall, negatively associated with cavernous sinus invasion independently (P = .025), 59.4% (19/32) in noninvasive tumors (64.0% in 25 noninvasive macroadenomas), and 5.0% (1/20) in invasive tumors.

Conclusion: Pediatric prolactinomas exhibited more severe clinical characteristics in boys and in patients diagnosed during earlier stages of pubertal developments. Given the overall efficacy of PRL normalization by medication and considerable surgical remission rate in noninvasive tumors, DAs remain the first-line recommendation for prolactinomas in children and adolescents, while surgery might be viable for noninvasive tumors.

Keywords: adolescent; children; dopamine agonists; prolactinoma; surgery.