Does a prolactinoma affect pregnancy and oral contraceptives?
If a woman has a small prolactinoma, there is usually no reason that she cannot conceive and have a normal pregnancy after successful medical therapy. The pituitary enlarges and prolactin production increases during normal pregnancy in women without pituitary disorders. Women with prolactin-secreting tumors may experience further pituitary enlargement and must be closely monitored during pregnancy. However, damage to the pituitary or eye nerves occurs in less than one percent of pregnant women with prolactinomas. In women with large tumors, the risk of damage to the pituitary or eye nerves is greater. If a woman has already completed a successful pregnancy, the likelihood of future successful pregnancies is extremely high. A woman with a prolactinoma should discuss her plans to conceive with her physician so she can be carefully evaluated prior to pregnancy. This evaluation typically includes a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to assess the size of the tumor and an eye examination