Serum prolactin levels and its clinical correlates in women presenting with infertility at the gynaecologic clinic of a tertiary hospital in North-central Nigeria

Objectives: We aimed to determine and compare the serum prolactin levels in infertile women and fertile controls and to compare the clinical presentations such as menstrual disorders, and visual field defects to prolactin levels in both groups. Methods: A comparative descriptive cross-sectional study involving reproductive-aged women with infertility Consenting female hospital staff in the same age group, without prior infertility were the control group. All participants were examined and had serum prolactin assay. The data was analyzed using the SPSS version 21. Probability (p) values less than 0.05 were accepted as statistically significant. Results: The mean ages were 33.11 ± 5.62 years (subject) and 32.92 ± 4.82 years (controls). Hyperprolactinaemia was recorded in 56.6% and 22.6% of infertile women and controls, respectively. The Mean serum prolactin value of 24.93 ± 16.51ng/ml in the subjects was higher than 17.15 ± 8.05ng/ml in the controls (p-value =0.003). Median serum prolactin values of infertile subjects with milky nipple discharge, decreased libido and galactorrhoea were significantly higher than that of fertile controls (p value= 0.001, 0.033 and 0.016 respectively). Comparison of amenorrhoea, galactorrhoea and abdominopelvic mass were significantly related to hyperprolactinaemia in infertile subjects than in fertile controls (p-value = 0.040, 0.014 and 0.040 respectively). Conclusion: Serum prolactin levels of infertile women attending the gynaecologic clinic in UITH were significantly higher than fertile controls. Prevalence of hyperprolactinaemia was higher among the infertile subjects and clinical features were more demonstrable in fertile controls than infertile subjects.