Serious Symptoms Of A Prolactinoma

Acne

Neurohormone prolactin is known to cause an individual's breast tissue to produce milk in mammals, but it is also found within the skin of a human. The proteins that make up neurohormone prolactin can be found on the individual's hair follicle embedded in their skin. While the exact mechanism of how an excessive amount of neurohormone prolactin in the skin caused by a prolactinoma is not clear, it is thought to be associated with the upregulated responses of the immune system to common environmental irritants. It is also important to consider how levels of prolactin in an individual's body cause interference with the proper production and secretion of other hormones. When the balance of several reproductive hormones becomes disturbed, the affected individual can experience symptoms like irregular periods, mood swings, and abnormal acne.

Erectile Dysfunction

Men affected by a prolactinoma that causes hyperprolactinemia can develop a condition referred to as hypogonadism. Hypogonadism is a condition where an individual has a deficiency of testosterone because the testes do not produce sperm, testosterone, or both. A prolactinoma causes a type of hypogonadism referred to as secondary hypogonadism. Low levels of testosterone can cause an individual to have a marked lack of sexual desire, potentially on a subconscious level, that makes it difficult for them to get and maintain an erection. Erectile dysfunction in an individual affected by a prolactinoma is uncommon because it is rare for low testosterone to cause erectile dysfunction as a standalone factor.