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Endocrine Abstracts (2017) 49 EP986 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.49.EP986

ECE2017 Eposter Presentations: Pituitary and Neuroendocrinology Pituitary - Clinical (145 abstracts)

Long-term impact of primary medical and surgical therapy on bone density in men versus women with prolactinomas

Lukas Andereggen 1 , Janine Frey 2 , Robert Andres 1 , Marwan El-Koussy 3 , Jürgen Beck 1 , Luigi Mariani 4 & Emanuel Christ 2,


1Neurosurgery, Bern, Switzerland; 2Endocrinology, Bern, Switzerland; 3Neuroradiology, Bern, Switzerland; 4Neurosurgery, Basel, Switzerland; 5Endocrinology, Basel, Switzerland.


Purpose: The prevalence of pathological bone densities in men and women with prolactinomas treated either primary surgically or medically are infrequently reported across large cohorts. In the present study, we aimed at comparing the impact of either therapeutic approach on the bone density in men vs women with prolactinomas.

Methods: Retrospective case-note study including all consecutive patients with prolactinomas in whom osteodensitometry data was available at study entry and long-term follow-up (≧ 12 months). Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Clinical and biochemical characteristics, tumor size, and remission rates were recorded.

Results: Hundred patients (40 men, 60 women) met inclusion criteria. At baseline, men had a significantly higher prevalence of pathological BMD than women (28 vs 2%, P<0.001). Primary medical therapy was considered in 47, first-line surgery in 53 patients. Median follow-up time was 79 months (range 12–408 months). Long-term PRL values significantly decreased in both cohorts, regardless of the primary treatment. There was a persisted need for dopamine (DA)-agonists in 75% men compared to 42% women (P=0.001). The prevalence of pathological BMD in men remained significantly higher than in women (37 vs 7%, P<0.001), independent of the primary treatment strategy.

Conclusions: The prevalence of pathological BMD in men remains significantly higher than in women, independent of the primary treatment strategy. While osteoporosis prevention and treatment is mainly focusing on women, awareness of the bone loss in men with prolactinomas should not be underestimated.

Volume 49

19th European Congress of Endocrinology

Lisbon, Portugal
20 May 2017 - 23 May 2017

European Society of Endocrinology 

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