A prolactin-secreting pituitary tumor is called which?

• A. Prolactinoma.
• B. Cretinism.
• C. Hashimoto's disease.
• D. Grave's disease.

Answer: (A)

A prolactin-secreting pituitary tumor is called a prolactinoma. Prolactin comes from lactotroph cells in the anterior pituitary, and when a tumor overproduces it, you get high prolactin levels that can cause symptoms such as galactorrhea and amenorrhea in women, and reduced libido or infertility in men. The other terms refer to thyroid disorders (cretinism, Hashimoto's disease, Grave's disease) and are not related to a prolactin-producing pituitary tumor. So the correct name for a tumor that makes prolactin is prolactinoma.