Macroprolactinomas: serial MR imaging in long-term bromocriptine therapy.

PURPOSE To study the changes in macroprolactinomas during long-term bromocriptine therapy by means of serial MR imaging, and to correlate the findings to the serum prolactin (S-PRL) levels.

PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirteen patients with macroprolactinomas were studied before and during bromocriptine therapy; six to 11 MR examinations were performed with a duration of follow-up of 22 to 74 months. Tumor size, extension, relationship to adjacent structures, and signal intensity patterns were evaluated. Signal intensity ratios and T2 values were calculated in areas of apparently solid tumor tissue.

RESULTS Bromocriptine effectively reduced the size of all tumors; the size reduction was already significant at 1 week, but often continued for several years. Reenlargement during therapy was seen in three cases. The development of chiasmal herniation parallel to increasing cisternal invagination into the sella was a common finding, but was not correlated to visual symptoms. Signal intensity patterns corresponding to hemorrhage, cysts or necrosis were frequently observed, and transitions from one pattern to another were common. Hemorrhage occurred mainly in tumors corresponding to high initial serum prolactin levels. After 1 year of therapy, there was a significant increase in T2 values, indicating an increased water content in residual solid tumor tissue.

CONCLUSIONS MR is valuable for follow-up in bromocriptine therapy of macroprolactinomas, and provides new information on the tumor size changes, the inner structure of the tumors, and the optic chiasm.