Summary
Basal serum prolactin and serum oestradiol-17-beta concentrations were measured four
times during one menstrual cycle in 20 women with severe cyclical mastalgia and normal
to slightly fibroadenotic breasts. A group of 10 normal women who had never experienced
mastalgia served as controls. Basal serum prolactin was significantly elevated in
patients compared to normals, although within the normal range. Serum oestradiol concentrations
did not differ in the two groups and were also within the normal range. A significant
positive correlation between oestradiol and prolactin was found in patients and normals,
but with larger prolactin levels in patients. The results point towards a prolactin
secretory hypersensitivity for oestradiol in patients with cyclical mastalgia. Prolactin
is considered a central factor in the eliciting of cyclical mastalgia.
Key-Words:
Prolactin
-
Oestradiol
-
Mastalgia
