The authors retrospectively reviewed medical records and evaluated the anam- nestic time and functional outcomes in a group of 67 patients with prolactinomas (55 macroprolactinomas and 12 microprolactinomas). There were 27 men who noticed the first symptoms at the mean age of 42.2 years and their anamnestic time was 2 years. The first symptoms of 13 men were revealed by ophthalmologists and a part of them were misdiagnosed. The final visual outcome was unsatisfac- tory in 7 men (bitemporal hemianopia and the visual acuity of one eye worse than 0.1 (6/60)). In 4 out of 7 men the anamnestic time was found even longer than 5 years and the treatment was started in the irreversible stage. In the group of 40 women the mean age of the initial symptoms was 25.1 years. In 32 women the first symptoms were oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea. Although the average anam- nestic time in the group of women was 6 years, in 11 cases even over 10 years, the final visual outcomes were satisfactory. All women had the final visual acuity 0.66 (6/9) or better in both eyes and only one woman had the total bitemporal hemia- nopia. Pharmacotherapy is the treatment of choice in prolactinomas. Its early starting is essential.

        Key words: prolactinomas, eye symptoms, anamnestic time, dopamine agonists