Forbes-Albright syndrome

Forbes-Albright syndrome is an older eponym for hyperprolactinaemia caused by a prolactin secreting pituitary tumor, a form of hyperpituitarism in which the pituitary gland releases abnormally high levels of the hormone prolactin into the blood. Normal prolactin levels average about 13 nanograms per milliliter in women and about 5 in men, with upper limits of a normal range typically between 15 and 25. In women the resulting excess commonly causes galactorrhea, unexpected milk production unrelated to nursing, along with infertility, menstrual irregularity, and loss of libido. In men it can cause decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, infertility, and gynecomastia, enlargement of breast tissue. The condition can also arise from normal physiological states such as pregnancy and breastfeeding, from medications, or from other diseases affecting the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, and it is classified within the medical specialty of endocrinology.