Causes of galactorrhea

Many people often experience milk leakage in their daily lives. In fact, this situation is quite common. The causes of milk leakage can be divided into many categories. The first is pituitary tumors, drug reactions, elevated estrogen, previous use of birth control pills, etc. These are the main causes of this symptom. You need to find the cause and conduct examination and treatment in normal times to avoid trouble to your body in the later stage.

Causes of symptoms

1. Pituitary tumor

Functionally independent pituitary tumors are not inhibited by normal hypothalamic prolactin inhibitory factor (PIF) and autonomously synthesize and secrete prolactin.

2. Medication

Phenothiazine-like compounds, reserpine derivatives, amphetamines and opioids, diazepam, tricyclic antidepressants, etc. can all cause galactorrhea by inhibiting the hypothalamus. These compounds deplete dopamine or block dopamine receptors.

3. Increased estrogen (such as oral contraceptives)

Inhibiting the hypothalamus causes a decrease in PIF secretion and the release of pituitary prolactin, and also directly promotes the secretion of PRL by pituitary lactotrophic cells.

4. Hypothalamic lesions and pituitary stalk diseases

The mechanism is believed to be due to the disorder of PIF production or transport. For example, compression of the pituitary stalk by pituitary tumors may also affect the transport of PIF.

5. Hypothyroidism

When thyroid function is low, the secretion of TRH and TSH increases, causing the PRL level in the blood to rise, resulting in hyperprolactinemia.

6. Long-term and high-intensity sucking stimulation of the nipples, chest scars, trauma, surgery, cervical spondylosis and cervical and chest herpes zoster can inhibit the secretion of hypothalamic PIF and promote the release of PRL through the neural reflex mechanism.

7. Nude Pteryx Syndrome

Due to congenital, traumatic or surgical defects in the pteranodontic diaphragm, the arachnoid membrane forms a herniation, which enters the pteranodontic gland and compresses the pituitary gland and pituitary stalk. Since the transport of dopamine (DA) is affected, high PRL blood level is formed.

8. Non-pituitary causes

Cirrhosis of the liver, kidney tumors, adrenal insufficiency, and renal failure can all increase serum PRL.

9. Ectopic PRL secretion

Very rarely, it can occur in ovarian teratomas containing ectopic pituitary tissue, which can increase blood PRL.

10. Idiopathic hyperprolactinemia

The cause has not been found, and functional abnormalities of pituitary tumors have not been found to cause increased PRL, which is called idiopathic hyperprolactinemia. It may also be because the pituitary microadenoma is too small to be discovered using modern radiation technology.