RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Elevated hCG can be a benign finding in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women
JF Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
JO Cleve Clin J Med
FD Cleveland Clinic
SP 635
OP 639
DO 10.3949/ccjm.88a.18069
VO 88
IS 11
A1 Lea El Hage
A1 Betul Hatipoglu
YR 2021
UL http://www.ccjm.org/content/88/11/635.abstract
AB 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.