title: Usefulness of a 12-month treatment with finasteride in idiophathic and polycystic ovary syndrome-associated hirsutism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hirsutism is considered as a skin disease due to increased 5 alpha-reductase activity in the pilosebaceous unit and finasteride is a drug that inhibits this enzymatic activity. This study showed the effectiveness of a chronic treatment with a selective 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor, finasteride, in idiopathic and PCOS-associated hirsutism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Finasteride was administered orally at a daily dose of 5 mg for a period of 12 months to 20 women with IH and 20 women with PCOS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each group was submitted to clinical (with Ferriman-Gallwey method) and serum hormonal (FSH, LH, 17 beta-estradiol, total and free T, delta 4-androstenedione, DHEAS; dihydrotestosterone, 3 alpha-androstanediol glucuronide) studies at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 months of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 3 months of finasteride treatment, a significant decrease in the average hirsutism scores was recorded both in IH (p < 0.0001) and PCOS patients (p < 0.0001). A progressive significant decrease of hirsutism score was observed in IH patients after 6 and 12 months (p < 0.002) and in PCOS patients after 6 but not 12 months. In fact, the maximal therapeutic effect on the hirsutism was obtained after 12 months in the IH and 6 months in PCOS group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Federico II, University Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrone
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Civitillo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galante
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giannotti
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Antò
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rippa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tolino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D018120:Finasteride / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006628:Hirsutism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018120:Finasteride