A 35-year-old woman in New Taipei City recently went to Taipei Hospital because she had been lactating, even though she was not pregnant. After using a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, they found a prolactinoma 1cm in diameter in her brain. Fortunately it was spotted early on, so she was able to make a full recovery after taking medication for half a year. If the tumor had gotten bigger, it could have put pressure on the optic nerve and affected her vision.
When the woman went to see Lin Shoei-loong, a breast surgeon and superintendent of Taipei Hospital, she asked him why she had been lactating for half a year even though she was not pregnant. After testing her blood, they found that her prolactin levels exceeded 100ng/ml (under 30ng/ml is considered normal). Using a breast ultrasound, they spotted a prolactinoma 1cm in diameter in her brain. Her prolactin levels have gone down to 2.68ng/ml after undergoing a drug treatment for half a year. She has also stopped lactating.
Lin says that a prolactinoma is a pituitary tumor. Most pituitary tumors do not exhibit any clinical symptoms, but in severe cases the tumor can put pressure on the optic nerve, causing headaches and dizziness. This type of tumor can be treated with medicine or surgery. The rate of recovery is as high as 80 percent.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
1. pregnant adj.
懷孕的 (huai2 yun4 de5)
例: Although she’s already four-months pregnant, she hasn’t started showing yet.
2. spot v.
發現；看到 (fa1 xian4; kan4 dao4)
例: With you wearing that bright red dress, we spotted you from a mile away.
3. dizziness n.
頭暈 (tou2 yun1)
例: His sudden dizziness was brought on by a lack of oxygen.