Treatment of hirsutism in women with flutamide.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the clinical usefulness of the antiandrogen flutamide in the treatment modality for hirsutism in women.


METHODS
Nine women with hirsutism were assessed before and then monthly for 3 months on a regimen of flutamide 250 mg three times a day as the sole therapeutic agent. Blood samples were taken at each assessment time for a battery of androgenic parameters.


METHODS
Patients were followed in the Out-Patient Department of the Hospital das Clinicas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Hormonal assays were performed in the Hormone Laboratories of Hospital das Clinicas and the Endocrine Research Laboratory at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, New Jersey.


METHODS
Nine women with moderate hirsutism were treated with flutamide. Six women were previously diagnosed as having idiopathic hirsutism, and three women were diagnosed as having polycystic ovary syndrome.


METHODS
All women were treated with flutamide 250 mg three times a day for 3 months.


METHODS
Improvement of hirsutism was assessed using the Ferriman-Gallwey hair density index. Side effects of drug therapy (deterioration of menses and dry skin) were explored. Androgen parameters included testosterone (T), sex hormone-binding globulin, bound, nonbound, and free T, androstanediol glucuronide, and others.


RESULTS
After 3 months of flutamide alone, Ferriman-Gallwey scores improved in seven of nine women with mean scores decreasing from 28.1 +/- 0.6 to 24.5 +/- 0.6. None of the androgenic parameters changed during this period of time. Follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone was unchanged after flutamide.


CONCLUSIONS
Flutamide favorably influenced hirsutism in women, with differences noted after only 3 months of therapy. More prolonged and detailed studies of this drug as the sole therapeutic agent for treatment of hirsutism seems warranted.
Marcondes
J A
JA
Hospital das Clinicas, Sao Paolo, Brazil.
Minnani
S L
SL
Luthold
W W
WW
Wajchenberg
B L
BL
Samojlik
E
E
Kirschner
M A
MA
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005485:Flutamide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol; C028895:androstane-3,17-diol glucuronide; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D005485:Flutamide