Patient story

Immediate help for Joanna

Early intervention can be crucial to receive appropriate care.

A 48-year-old blonde woman, slim, wearing a beige smart casual outfit and heels, sits on a 19th-century style couch in a brightly lit, modern, lived-in living room with white walls. A bookshelf is visible on the left side of the frame. She holds a smartphone in her hands and looks at it with a slightly concerned expression.

Context

48-year-old Joanna had been experiencing some concerning symptoms lately – occasional headaches and what seemed like minor changes in her vision. During her routine gynecological appointment, her doctor recommended hormonal testing to investigate these issues.

When Joanna received her results, she noticed her prolactin levels were elevated. She wasn’t sure what this meant, but since she was leaving for a two-week vacation the next day, she figured she could address it with her doctor when she returned. After all, how urgent could it really be?

Fortunately, Joanna decided to get her results interpreted before her trip. What she discovered changed everything.

Expert commentary

Prolactin is a hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland and is responsible for the functioning of the reproductive system. High levels of prolactin in the blood may indicate the presence of a pituitary tumor, accompanied by neurological symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and visual disturbances.

In this case, considering the clinical symptoms and prolactin levels significantly exceeding the laboratory norm, it is necessary to first exclude a prolactinoma — a pituitary gland adenoma secreting prolactin.

says Agnieszka Kuś, MD

Doctor of Medicine, graduate of Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, specialized in internal medicine. Works for the Lower Silesian Oncology Centre in Wroclaw, Poland.

Conclusion

Thanks to the automated interpretation, Joanna understood that her results required immediate attention rather than waiting two weeks.

She postponed her vacation and went to the nearest Emergency Room, leading to prompt diagnosis and treatment of her condition.

Sometimes the most important decision is recognizing when you can’t wait.

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