Prolactin, or luteotrophic hormone best known as the hormone directly related to breastfeeding, but he was already at the oldest known vertebrates - fish. Its function in their bodies tied to the control of the balance of salts and liquids.

Prolactin also an important regulator of the immune system.

The level of the hormone prolactin is especially high in pregnant women. During pregnancy it increases by 10-20 times. After giving birth, if a woman is breastfeeding, prolactin levels also remain high. Women who do not breastfeed, prolactin levels are back to normal shortly after giving birth. In lactating women, levels of this hormone to normal a few months after birth.

Pituitary men and non-pregnant women also produces prolactin, but it is not clear what functions it performs in their body.

Prolactin levels vary throughout the day. It is highest during sleep Dreams: how to understand our dreams And soon after a person wakes up. The level of prolactin increases under the influence of physical or emotional stress How to beat stress? Create an oasis .

In addition, changes in prolactin levels may be caused by taking certain medications, as well as pituitary tumor or injury. Thus, the assay measuring the level of prolactin in blood is a useful diagnostic procedure.

What do tests for prolactin levels in blood

Analysis of the level of prolactin in the blood may be useful in the following cases:

• Identifying the causes of abnormal discharge from the nipples, lack of menstruation (amenorrhea), or infertility;
• Analysis of the level of prolactin in men do if you suspect a problem with the pituitary gland, as well as decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and low testosterone.

As a rule, a few hours before testing patients are asked not to eat or drink. Typically, for analysis of blood levels of prolactin taken three hours after the person wakes up.

Because any stress can increase levels of prolactin, before taking the blood, the patient is recommended to rest for half an hour.

Furthermore, since nipple stimulation may also increase the level of prolactin in the blood, it should be avoided for 24 hours before you donate blood for analysis.

Blood analysis is taken from a vein in the arm. For people with an average level of sensitivity is virtually painless procedure.

The level of prolactin in the blood

Normal levels of prolactin levels in the blood:

• Not pregnant women: 4-23 mg / l;
• Men: 3-15 mg / l;
• Pregnant women: 34-386 mg / l.

High levels of prolactin in the blood (typically above 200 ug / l) may indicate a pituitary tumor (prolactinoma). The higher levels of prolactin, the greater the likelihood that a person has developed a tumor. As a rule, to confirm the diagnosis using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Elevated levels of prolactin can also be an indication of idiopathic hyperprolactinemia - a condition in which, for unknown reasons pituitary produces excessive amounts of prolactin.

Other causes of increase in prolactin levels may be:

• Anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa - symptoms and effects on the body ;
• Medications: estrogen Estrogen - the key to bone health , Tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, amphetamines, drugs to treat hypertension (reserpine, verapamil, methyldopa), and some medications are used to treat gastro-esophageal reflux disease (such as cimetidine);
• Various diseases of the hypothalamus;
• Hypothyroidism;
• Kidney disease;
• Liver disease (including cirrhosis);
• Polycystic ovary syndrome.

Prolactin levels may be lowered due hypopituitarism as well as a result of taking drugs such as dopamine, levodopa, and derivatives of ergot alkaloids.

Fibroadenoma of the breast - it is basically a problem of young women and even adolescents, since its growth is often associated with hormonal disorders Hormonal disorders - oversupply and a lack of equally dangerous . However, fibroadenoma, like the rest of the tumor has a lot of puzzles. For example, it sometimes appears and progresses even in old age.

What is a fibroadenoma of the breast

Breast fibroadenoma - a benign tumor arising from glandular (ie capable of producing a secret - a woman's milk) of the epithelium and connective tissue of the breast. Like all benign tumors, fibroadenoma is a capsule and clear boundaries. Fibroadenoma can occur anywhere on the breast, but more often it appears in verhnenaruzhnogo quadrant. Often there are multiple fibroadenomas.

Nodal tumors usually do not exceed a diameter of 3 cm and in turn divided into intrakanikulyarnye, perikanikulyarnye and mixed. Intrakanalikulyarnaya fibroadenoma of the breast is a tumor that grows in the lumen of the milk ducts. Perikanalikulyarnaya fibroadenoma is growing around the milk ducts. But most often found mixed version node fibroadenoma - a combination of intra- and perikanalikulyarnoy tumor.

Leaf-fibroadenoma of the breast (filloidnaya fibroadenoma) has a layered structure, clearly distinguished from surrounding tissues and is rapidly increasing in size, resulting in deformation of the mammary gland, and sometimes to the complete substitution of breast tumor tissue. This type of fibroadenoma most apt to degenerate into a malignant tumor, so the leaf fibroadenoma is considered borderline states, occupies an intermediate state between safe and dangerous benign cancers.

Causes of breast fibroadenoma

Causes of any tumors are not exactly known. However, clinical experience shows that fibroadenomas are usually formed when hormonal disorders, trauma, breast cancer, frequent exposure to the sun or in the solarium Solarium: harm or benefit? .

Hormonal disorders can have a temporary physiological nature (eg, adolescence). In this case, fibroadenoma after restoration of normal hormonal stops their growth. But fibroadenomas can not resolve.

But if hormonal disorders are pathological, fibroadenoma may grow in size. Hormonal disorders can cause persistent menstrual irregularities inherent nature, long flowing inflammatory processes of female genital sphere, abortion, obstructed labor, diseases of the endocrine system (hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, The thyroid gland - is responsible for your hormones Adrenal) stress and so forth. After the elimination of the underlying pathology fibroadenoma may also stop growing.

It is also noticed that ovarian failure menopausal fibroadenoma may also stop its growth and even slightly decrease in volume due to calcification (deposition of calcium salts). But in some cases it is growing and it is a disturbing factor in the degeneration of fibroadenoma in relation to cancer.

How can you identify breast fibroadenoma

It is not so easy, as the disease is most often asymptomatic. Fibroadenoma can sometimes detect the woman at a palpation of mammary glands. But most of the tumor is detected during a routine inspection by the surgeon - mammologist. From the nodal mastopathy fibroadenoma characterized in that it can be felt, both in standing and supine (nodal mastopathy Breast - the mirror Women's Health   in the supine position is not detectable). From breast fibroadenoma can be distinguished by the absence of clear boundaries and cohesion with the surrounding tissues.

On X-rays at the junction fibroadenoma visible round or oval homogeneous shadow with a clear outline. Leaf-fibroadenoma gives more shade rounded shape with scalloped contours. In the US, you can measure the dimensions of fibroadenoma, to distinguish it from the cysts and cancer. Blood tests to detect hormones, hormonal disorders.

Puncture of mammary fibroadenoma

Puncture of breast fibroadenoma when needed to distinguish benign from malignant tumors. Using a thin needle with a syringe under the control of the ultrasonic beam from a tumor taken a small amount of biological material for cytology. The resulting material was examined under a microscope to detect abnormal (characteristic of malignant tumor) cells.

Breast fibroadenoma - a benign tumor that does not resolve, but can stop the growth.

Galina Romanenko