Cabergoline (CAB, Pharmacia) is a long-acting ergoline dopaminergic agonist for oral administration, already described as a useful drug for hyperprolactinemia therapy. Forty-five patients (36 women, 9 men) with prolactinomas (27 micro, 18 macro) with persistent intolerance and/or resistance to bromocriptine (BRC) were treated with a weekly CAB dose of 0.25-7.0mg (median: 1mg) divided in one to seven administrations along the week. The treatment, in compassionate basis, lasted from 1 to 38 months (median: 12 mo). Among the 38 BRC intolerant patients (digestive symptoms, n=27; orthostatic hypotension, n=13; nasal stuffiness, n=5; psychiatric manifestations, n=4; urinary retention, n=1) only 5 remained persistently intolerant to CAB (digestive symptoms, n=2; arterial hypotension, n=2; nasal stuffiness, n=1). All BRC tolerant patients accepted CAB well. Eleven cases had serum prolactin levels normalized with BRC. These patients and other 19 also reached normal prolactin levels with CAB. However, only 3 out of the 7 BRC resistant patients (daily dose: 10-25mg) had their serum prolactin levels normalized with CAB. Tumor shrinkage was documented by magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scanning in 7 macroprolactinoma patients during CAB treatment. Thus, due to its excellent efficacy, tolerability and low frequency administration, CAB can be very useful for medicai management of prolactinomas.
Prolactinoma; Prolactin; Dopaminergic drugs; Pituitary tumors; Bromocriptine; Cabergoline
