Polycystic ovary syndrome and hyperprolactinemia.

Analysis of the evidence linking PCOS and hyperprolactinemia suggests that these conditions have independent origins. Elevated prolactin serum levels are documented in the early studies of patients with polycystic ovaries. However, recent investigators using serial serum sampling have excluded transient elevations of prolactin and have shown a less frequent association of these disorders. Treatment of individuals with both PCOS and hyperprolactinemia is distinct from the management of the individual with only one of these conditions. Upon evaluating the therapeutic alternatives for dysfunctional uterine bleeding and hirsutism in these patients, the effect of exogenous estrogen and progesterone on the secretion of prolactin must be considered. The addition of a dopamine agonist (e.g., bromocriptine or cabergoline) to a regimen of clomiphene citrate must also be considered as ovulation induction options for these women. Finally, future discoveries about the relationship between PCOS and hyperprolactinemia will require a better understanding of how the hypothalamus regulates the pituitary secretion of LH and prolactin.