Podcast 620: Prolactin and Seizures

<p> </p> <p><strong>Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD</strong></p> <p><strong>Educational Pearls:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Serum prolactin levels can be used to help differentiate epileptic seizures from non-epileptic seizures</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is also released and elevated after epileptic seizures but not non-epileptic seizures</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A level must be checked 10-20 minutes after the episode and if possible a next day level should be checked to establish a baseline</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Levels can also be raised after a syncopal event</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not the most useful ED also due to the long turn around time</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">EEG will remain superior for now</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>References</strong></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Nass RD, Sassen R, Elger CE, Surges R.</span> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28288363/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The role of postictal laboratory blood analyses in the diagnosis and prognosis of seizures.</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Seizure. 2017 Apr;47:51-65. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2017.02.013. Epub 2017 Feb 27. PMID: 28288363.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Chen DK, So YT, Fisher RS;</span> <a href= "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16157897/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Use of serum prolactin in diagnosing epileptic seizures: report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology.</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Neurology. 2005 Sep 13;65(5):668-75. doi: 10.1212/0