When is surgical removal of a prolactin secreting tumor indicated?
With the availability of dopamine agonists, surgery has become a secondary choice in the treatment of prolactin-secreting tumors, particularly because the long-term surgical cure rate for large tumors is only 25% to 50%. The principal indications for surgical treatment of a prolactin-secreting tumor are intolerance or resistance to dopamine agonists and acute hemorrhage into the tumor. A cerebrospinal fluid leak resulting from erosion of the floor of the sella turcica is another indication for surgical debulking and repair.
