ABSTRACT
In a perimenopausal or postmenopausal woman, an elevation in human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) can raise the concern of malignancy or even pregnancy, but it can also be a benign physiologic finding due to production in the pituitary gland in this patient population. Diagnosing the underlying cause of hCG elevation can be challenging, especially if a pituitary source is not considered. Pituitary hCG production remains largely underrecognized and can lead to unnecessary testing, harmful therapy such as chemotherapy, or delay in receiving appropriate care for other unrelated diseases. It is therefore important to establish guidelines to aid medical evaluation.
- Copyright © 2021 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
- Lea El Hage, MD
- Betul Hatipoglu, MD⇑
- Professor of Medicine, CWRU School of Medicine, Vice Chair, UH System Clinical Affairs, Department of Medicine, Medical Director, Diabetes & Obesity Center, Mary B. Lee Chair in Adult Endocrinology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH
- Address:
Betul Hatipoglu, MD, University Hospitals of Cleveland, CMC Mather Suite 16000, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106; betul.hatipoglu{at}uhhospitals.org
ABSTRACT
In a perimenopausal or postmenopausal woman, an elevation in human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) can raise the concern of malignancy or even pregnancy, but it can also be a benign physiologic finding due to production in the pituitary gland in this patient population. Diagnosing the underlying cause of hCG elevation can be challenging, especially if a pituitary source is not considered. Pituitary hCG production remains largely underrecognized and can lead to unnecessary testing, harmful therapy such as chemotherapy, or delay in receiving appropriate care for other unrelated diseases. It is therefore important to establish guidelines to aid medical evaluation.
- Copyright © 2021 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
