Prepare for the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) Exam with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question includes insights and explanations to help you excel. Get ready for your certification journey!

Multiple Choice

Pituitary adenomas can be classified as prolactinomas, which secrete prolactin, or chromophobe adenomas, which do not; they commonly cause infertility and decreased libido, headaches, and visual field loss such as bitemporal hemianopsia.

Prolactinomas are functioning pituitary adenomas that secrete prolactin. The excess prolactin (hyperprolactinemia) disrupts reproductive hormones by suppressing GnRH, leading to infertility and decreased libido. As the tumor grows, it can compress nearby structures, producing headaches and visual field defects, most notably bitemporal hemianopsia from optic chiasm compression. Chromophobe adenomas, by contrast, are nonfunctioning and do not secrete prolactin; their symptoms come from mass effect rather than hormonal overproduction. So the statement that prolactinomas secrete prolactin and can cause infertility, decreased libido, headaches, and bitemporal hemianopsia accurately reflects both the hormonal and mass-effect consequences, making it the best fit.

Prolactinomas are functioning pituitary adenomas that secrete prolactin. The excess prolactin (hyperprolactinemia) disrupts reproductive hormones by suppressing GnRH, leading to infertility and decreased libido. As the tumor grows, it can compress nearby structures, producing headaches and visual field defects, most notably bitemporal hemianopsia from optic chiasm compression. Chromophobe adenomas, by contrast, are nonfunctioning and do not secrete prolactin; their symptoms come from mass effect rather than hormonal overproduction. So the statement that prolactinomas secrete prolactin and can cause infertility, decreased libido, headaches, and bitemporal hemianopsia accurately reflects both the hormonal and mass-effect consequences, making it the best fit.