title: Anti-androgen treatment in women with acne: a controlled trial.
abstract: Ninety female patients with acne were allocated randomly to one of three groups and treated either with Diane, a high dose cyproterone acetate (CPA) regime with ethinyloestradiol, or Minovlar. The same dose of oestrogen was common to all three treatment groups. Patients were assessed every 2 months for 6 months, by grading for severity of the acne, lesion counts and photography, and subjectively using a visual analogue scale. In addition, bacteriological sampling and sebum excretion rate (SER) measurements were performed. The results showed a clinical improvement in all three treatment groups, but a more rapid and complete response was seen in those groups who received CPA. There was also a consistent trend suggesting a more favourable response in those in the high dose CPA group. Although there was a marked reduction in SER in the groups treated with CPA, there was no correlation between reduction in SER and clinical improvement in individuals, nor could a reduction in the surface bacterial population be shown to be a primary event in the success of anti-androgen therapy. We have shown that the addition of CPA to oestrogen adds significantly to the therapeutic effect in acne and that anti-androgen and oestrogen combinations are more effective than standard oestrogen and progestagen contraceptive pills.
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003534:Cyproterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004338:Drug Combinations / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009640:Norethindrone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077563:Norethindrone Acetate; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate; C032640:Cyproterone acetate, ethinyl estradiol drug combination; D000077563:Norethindrone Acetate; D003534:Cyproterone; D009640:Norethindrone