Internal medicine

Physiology

Bioinformatics

Biology

Pathophysiology

Etiology

Stimulation

Lactation

Orgasm

Sexual dysfunction

Prolactin

Pregnancy

Clinical significance

Genetics

Hormone

Medicine

Obstetrics and Gynecology International

While prolactin is most well known for its role in lactation and suppression of reproduction, its physiological functions are quite diverse. There are many etiologies of hyperprolactinemia, including physiologic as well as pathologic causes. Physiologic causes include pregnancy, lactation, sleep-associated, nipple stimulation and sexual orgasm, chest wall stimulation, or trauma. Stress is also an important physiologic cause of hyperprolactinemia, and its clinical significance is still being explored. This review will provide an overview of prolactin physiology, the role of stress in prolactin secretion, as well as the general clinical approach to hyperprolactinemia.

Stress-Induced Hyperprolactinemia: Pathophysiology and Clinical Approach