Medroxyprogesterone acetate for the evaluation of hypertestosteronism in hirsute women.
Twenty-three women with moderately elevated plasma testosterone levels (77 to 240 ng/dl) received 10 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) orally, three times daily, for 3 months or more. The testosterone levels were reduced to normal (less than 70 ng/dl) in 21 patients, suppressed partially in 1 patient, and unchanged in 1 patient. The removal of an ovarian teratoma normalized the testosterone level in the patient whose levels had failed to suppress with MPA. On therapy, the mean plasma testosterone concentration decreased 60%, apparent free testosterone decreased 31%, and dihydrotesterone decreased 34% (P less than 0.001, P = 0.05, and P = 0.01, respectively). A small decrease in the testosterone-binding capacity did not reach statistical significance. Experience with this simple trial suggests that extensive diagnostic testing may not be required in women with hirsutism and moderately elevated testosterone levels.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone