RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Acromegaly occurs by excessive secretion of growth hormone and more than 99% of cases are caused by a growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma. Pituitary adenomas expressing multiple immunoreactivities are common. We assumed that the pituitary adenomas which is immunochemically detected growth hormone and prolactin are responsible for it and reviewed 28 patients with acromagaly to determine the correlation between serum hormonal level and immunocytochemical finding. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with acromegaly who underwent surgery of pituitary adenoma in Samsung Medical Center from October 1998 to may 2001 were included. Baseline hormonal evaluations and several endocine tests were performed. Immunocytochemical stain was done. RESULTS: According to the extent of hormonal stain, the adenoma was divided into two groups. The adenoma showing immunoreactivity over 50% to growth hormone was 100%, to prolactin was 71.4% and to FSH was 25.0%. The extent of other hormonal stain was less than 20%. There were no significant differences in age, sex, the ratio of macroadenoma and microadenoma, the basal serum GH level, serum IGF-1 level, and the response to TRH, somatostatin and bromocriptine suppression test between the two groups divided by the the extent of prolactin stain. But the serum prolactin level was 55.0+/-63.4 ng/mL, and 19.9+/-12.2 ng/mL each in two groups which was siginificantly increased in the adenoma showing immunoreactivity over 50% to prolactin. CONCLUSION: Acromegaly patients with higher expression of prolactin on immunocytochemical studies showed higher serum prolactin levels and patients with hyperprolactinemia showed higher serum IGF-1.