Galactorrhea

Learn more about Galactorrhea and other medical symptoms..

Below you can find further information on this medical area. All this information is freely available for re-distribution both privately and commercially, according to the GNU free documentation license.

Galactorrhea or galactorrhoea is the spontaneous flow of milk from the breast, unassociated with childbirth or nursing. It can be due to local causes or dysregulation of certain hormones.

Lactation requires the presence of estrogen, progesterone and prolactin, and the evaluation of galactorrhea includes eliciting a history for various medications (methyldopa, opiates, some atypical antipsychotics) and for behavioral causes (including licorice, stress, and breast and chest wall stimulation), as well as evaluation for pregnancy, pituitary adenomas (with overproduction of prolactin or compression of the pituitary stalk), and hypothyroidism. Overproduction of prolactin leads to cessation of menstrual periods and infertility, which may be a diagnostic clue.

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All information published on this web site is for information purposes only. The content of this web site should not be used for a conclusive diagnosis or for choosing a treatment. The content on this site has been provided as a guideline and general information it is not intended to replace professional medical care. In all serious cases it is advisable to recieve attention from a qualified medical practitioner.