In these cases, healthcare providers need to methodically exclude all other causes before a diagnosis can be made.
This process is calleddifferential diagnosis.
Thyroid disease can be diagnosed by performing blood tests to evaluate the T3 and T4 levels.
Thomas Barwick / Getty Images
Further tests would be performed to pinpoint the underlying cause.
PCOS can similarly trigger increases in prolactin levels.
One of the more common causes of hyperprolactinemia is a pituitary tumor called a prolactinoma.
A prolactinoma can either be large or small and is most often benign (noncancerous).
Hyperprolactinemia also requires a differential diagnosis to exclude thyroid disease as a cause.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test can be used to confirm the presence of a tumor.
Unlike PCOS, CAH can be diagnosed with a genetic test.
Cushing’s Syndrome
Cushing’s syndrome is a disease that causes the overproduction of adrenal hormones.
As with PCOS, there is no single test to confirm a Cushing’s diagnosis.
“Amer Fam Phys.2016; 94(2):106-13.
