Prolactin adenoma and Wermer's syndrome. A 10-year follow-up of a case with two parathyroid tumors, as adrenal adenoma, and a malignant pancreatic tumor (author's transl)

A man of 38 years of age was found to have a type I endocrine polyadenomatosis in 1969. He was operated upon for removal of tumor of the islets of Langerhans with lymph gland metastases, and the head of the pancreas was removed. This was followed at a later date by ablation of two parathyroid adenomas. A clinically silent adenoma of the left adrenal was not removed and a silent and enclosed pituitary tumore was discovered. There were no clinical or hormonal signs of progression of the pancreatic tumor ten years later, but hypertension and behavioural disorders had developed. Catecholamine levels were normal. Selective blood aldosterone levels were just within significant values. A massive increase in prolactin secretion (more than 100 times the normal) was noted. This could be reduced by bromocriptine, and the possible role of prolactin in the behavioural disorders present is discussed.