title: A prospective randomized trial comparing finasteride to spironolactone in the treatment of hirsute women.
abstract: Enhanced 5 alpha-reductase activity has been found in the skin of the majority of women with hirsutism. Finasteride is a specific competitive inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase, preferentially inhibiting the type 2 isoenzyme. Therefore, we randomly assigned 14 hirsute women in a 2:1 ratio to 1 of 2 treatment arms: 1) finasteride (F) treatment (n = 9; 5 mg, orally, daily), or 2) spironolactone (S) treatment (n = 5; 100 mg, orally, daily). Each group was treated for 6 months. Patients were evaluated at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. The 2 groups were similar in age, weight, hip/waist ratio, baseline Ferriman-Gallwey score (F, 19 +/- 2; S, 19 +/- 2), and baseline androgen levels. Finasteride treatment resulted in a significant increase in testosterone (T; P < 0.01) and the T/dihydrotestosterone ratio (P < 0.01). Finasteride caused a significant decrease in 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol glucuronide (3 alpha-diolG; P < 0.05), the 3 alpha-diolG/T ratio (P < 0.01), and the 3 alpha-diolG/androstenedione ratio (P < 0.05). All changes were consistent with 5 alpha-reductase inhibition. In contrast, spironolactone treatment did not result in significant changes in serum hormone levels. Both treatments produced a significant decrease in anagen hair diameters [F, -14.0 +/- 6.7% (P < 0.05); S, -13.4 +/- 3.8% (P < 0.05)] and Ferriman-Gallwey scores [F, -2.1 +/- 0.4 (P < 0.05); S, -2.5 +/- 0.7 (P < 0.05)]. In conclusion, despite significantly different effects on androgen levels, finasteride and spironolactone treatment resulted in a similar clinical effect on hirsutism. Both caused significant, but limited, improvement in hirsutism. Although promising, further studies with finasteride are needed to verify its effectiveness as a treatment for hirsutism. Such studies will also provide a better understanding of the relative contribution of 5 alpha-reductase isoenzymes to hirsutism.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033.
authors: I L
authors: IL
authors: Wong
authors: R S
authors: RS
authors: Morris
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Chang
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Spahn
authors: F Z
authors: FZ
authors: Stanczyk
authors: R A
authors: RA
authors: Lobo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D018120:Finasteride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006197:Hair / Q000473:pathology; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013148:Spironolactone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D013148:Spironolactone; D018120:Finasteride