Rationale and Comments

It has become common practice to obtain prolactin levels in the routine infertility evaluation. However, there is no reason to expect that a woman would exhibit clinically significant, elevated prolactin levels in the presence of normal menstrual cycles and without galactorrhea (milk discharge from breast). Therefore, serum testing of prolactin levels in a normally menstruating woman without galactorrhea provides no benefit and would not impact clinical management.

Sponsoring Organizations

• American Society for Reproductive Medicine

Sources

• Expert consensus

Disciplines

• Gynecologic

References

• Glazener CM, Kelly NJ, Hull MG. Prolactin measurement in the investigation of infertility in women with a normal menstrual cycle. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1987 Jun;94(6):535–8.
  
• Kostrzak A, Warenik-Szymankiewicz A, Meczekalski B. The role of serum PRL bioactivity evaluation in hyperprolactinaemic women with different menstrual disorders. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2009 Dec;25(12):799–806.