Efficacy of cabergoline in the treatment of acromegaly

We evaluated in a prospective non-randomized study the effect of cabergoline administration (1-1.5mg twice weekly, for 2-4 months) on GH and IGF-1 levels in 9 acromegalic patients. Normalization of GH and IGF-1 levels occurred in 3 out of the 9 patients (33%) who were evaluated, in 3 out of 5 patients (60%) with GH/prolactin-cosecreting pituitary adenomas but in none without associated hyperprolactinemia. The best responses were observed in patients with pre-treatment GH and IGF-1 levels below 20ng/mL and 750ng/mL, respectively. Our results suggest that cabergoline may be an effective therapy for acromegalic patients with cosecreting GH/prolactin adenomas, particularly for those with moderately elevated plasma IGF-1 and GH levels.

Acromegaly; Cabergoline; GH; Prolactin