Rising burden of PRL-PitNETs: patterns across tumour sizes and incidentalomas
Authors' conclusion
PRL-PitNETs are increasingly prevalent, partly driven by a rising incidence of men and incidentalomas, suggesting a phenotypic shift and associated increase in clinical and healthcare burden.
Study context
- Population
- All PRL-PitNET patients in the North Denmark Region (2017–2022; N = 594,634), identified via ICD-10 E22.1 or dopamine agonist treatment; review of studies reporting ≥20 PRL-PitNETs (PubMed, Embase, May 2025)
- Participants
- 167 / 78 / 20
- Comparison
- Microprolactinomas vs Macroprolactinomas vs Incidentalomas
- Microprolactinomasn = 167
- Macroprolactinomasn = 78
- Incidentalomasn = 20
- Outcome
- Temporal epidemiological trends (prevalence, incidence) in PRL-PitNETs
- Follow-up
- 2017 to 2022
Methodological detailsrandom-effects meta-analysis, population-based (North Denmark Region)
- Random-effects meta-analysis
- Population-based (North Denmark Region)
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Increase in prevalence
- Overall prevalence increase (+61 cases)
- 41% (95% CI: 25%-60%)
- Overall incidence per 100 000 person-years
- 2.8 (95% CI: 2.2-3.5)
Further pooled results
Meta-analysis (15 studies, 16 000 PRL-PitNET cases): prevalence and incidence
- Prevalence per 100 000 persons
- 41 (95% PI: 12-89)
- Incidence per 100 000 person-years
- 2.3 (95% PI: 1.2-4.3)
- Men, over the last two decades
- from 10%-20% to 20%-30%
- Macroprolactinomas, over the last two decades
- ∼25 to ∼30%
- Incidentalomas, over the last two decades
- ∼6% to ∼10%
- Increasing prevalence and incidence
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Rising burden of PRL-PitNETs: patterns across tumour sizes and incidentalomas. Eur J Endocrinol. Published 17 December 2025. doi:10.
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