title: Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist therapy for hirsutism is as effective as high dose cyproterone acetate but results in a longer remission.
abstract: Both cyproterone acetate (CPA) and the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) have been shown to be effective for the treatment of hirsutism. We wished to compare the effectiveness of CPA in two standard doses with GnRHa and add-back therapy and to compare the length of remission after these treatments. A total of 60 hirsute hyperandrogenic women was assigned to the following treatment groups: CPA 2 mg with 35 microg of ethinylestradiol for 21 days each month (Diane group), CPA 50 mg, days 5-15, and ethinylestradiol 50 microg, days 5-25, each month (CPA group) or Decapeptyl 3.75 mg i.m. every 28 days with the addition of conjugated oestrogen 0.625 mg, days 1-21, and medroxyprogesterone acetate 10 mg, days 12-21 (GnRHa group). Hirsutism was graded by the Ferriman-Gallwey-Lorenzo (FGL) index and anagen hair shaft diameters and serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone were assessed before and every 3 months during and after treatment. All women were treated for 1 year with 1 year follow-up. At baseline hirsutism and endocrine patterns were similar in all groups. After one year of treatment, hirsutism decreased in all groups but the changes were greater (P <0.05) in the CPA and GnRHa groups than in the Diane group. Serum LH and testosterone were lowest in the GnRHa group. After withdrawal, hirsutism increased rapidly in the Diane and CPA groups and after 6 months, FGL scores and hair shaft diameters were similar to pretreatment values. In the GnRHa group, hirsutism increased more gradually and after 1 year of withdrawal, FGL scores and hair diameters were significantly (P <0.05) less than pretreatment values. Serum LH and testosterone increased rapidly in all three groups reaching pretreatment values by 6 months. These data suggest equal efficacy of the GnRHa and the high dose CPA regimen for the treatment of hirsutism in hyperandrogenic women. GnRHa with add-back treatment appears to result in a longer remission of hirsutism in comparison with CPA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carmina
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lobo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D045166:Estradiol Congeners / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011966:Receptors, LHRH / Q000819:agonists*; D012074:Remission Induction / Q000379:methods; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D045166:Estradiol Congeners; D011966:Receptors, LHRH; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate