Normal prolactin levels by age

Definition Prolactin is a hormone released by the pituitary gland. The prolactin test measures the amount of prolactin in the blood. Alternative Names PRL; Galactorrhea - prolactin test; Infertility - prolactin test; Amenorrhea - prolactin test; Breast leakage - prolactin test; Prolactinoma - prolactin test; Pituitary tumor - prolactin test How the Test is Performed A blood sample is needed. How to Prepare for the Test No special preparation is necessary. How the Test will Feel When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or a slight bruise. This soon goes away. Why the Test is Performed Prolactin is a hormone released by the pituitary gland The pituitary is a small gland at the base of the brain. It regulates the body's balance of many hormones. Prolactin stimulates breast development and milk production in women. There is no known normal function for prolactin in men. Prolactin is usually measured when checking for pituitary tumors and the cause of: • Breast milk production that is not related to childbirth (galactorrhea) • Decreased sex drive (libido) in men and women • Erection problems in men • Not able to get pregnant ( infertility) • Irregular or no menstrual periods ( amenorrhea) Normal Results The normal values for prolactin are: • Men: less than 20 ng/mL (425 µg/L) • Nonpregnant women: less than 25 ng/mL (25 µg/L) • Pregnant women: 80 to 400 ng/mL (80 to 400...

• Pagana KD, Pagana TJ, Pagana TN. Mosby’s Diagnostic & Laboratory Test Reference. 14th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier; 2019. • Segu VB. Prolactinoma. Medscape Drugs & Diseases. Available at • Benson CT. Prolactin Deficiency. Medscape Drugs & Diseases. Available at • Joustra SD, Roelfsema F, Endert E, Ballieux BE, van Trotsenburg AS, Fliers E, et al. Pituitary Hormone Secretion Profiles in IGSF1 Deficiency Syndrome. Neuroendocrinology. 2015 Aug 25. • Porta F, Ponzone A, Spada M. Short prolactin profile for monitoring treatment in BH4 deficiency. Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2015 May. 19 (3):360-3. Chief Editor Thomas M Wheeler, MD, FCAP Chief of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Baylor St Luke's Medical Center; WL Moody, Jr, Endowed Chair and Professor, Senior Vice Chair, Faculty Group Pathology Practice, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine Thomas M Wheeler, MD, FCAP is a member of the following medical societies: Disclosure: Received stock from Nucleai, Inc; Biofluidica, Inc; DNA SeqAlliance, Inc; and stipend from Insightec, Inc for medical advisory board.

Patient Preparation: For 12 hours before specimen collection do not take multivitamins or dietary supplements containing biotin (vitamin B7), which is commonly found in hair, skin, and nail supplements and multivitamins. Container/Tube: Preferred: Serum gel Acceptable: Red top Submission Container/Tube: Plastic vial Specimen Volume: 0.6 mL Collection Instructions: Centrifuge and aliquot serum into a plastic vial. Prolactin is secreted by the anterior pituitary gland and controlled by the hypothalamus. The major chemical controlling prolactin secretion is dopamine, which inhibits prolactin secretion from the pituitary. Prolactin is released from the pituitary in response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone and other factors. Prolactin is the principal hormone that controls the initiation and maintenance of lactation. In normal individuals, prolactin concentrations increase in response to physiologic stimuli such as sleep, stress, exercise, sexual intercourse, and hypoglycemia, and concentrations are also elevated during pregnancy, lactation, postpartum, and in a newborn infant. Hyperprolactinemia is the most common hypothalamic-pituitary disorder encountered in clinical endocrinology. Pathologic causes of hyperprolactinemia include prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma (prolactinoma, which is more frequent in females than males and accounts for approximately 40% of all pituitary tumors), functional and organic disease of the hypothalamus, primary hypothyroidism, compression of...