title: Topical testosterone versus clobetasol for vulvar lichen sclerosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effects of topical testosterone and clobetasol treatments on symptoms remission and recurrence rates in patients with vulvar lichen sclerosus (LS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of the records showed that, of 140 patients with biopsy-proven vulvar LS, 80 were treated with applications of testosterone propionate 2% in petrolatum and 60 with clobetasol 17-propionate 0.05%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rates after 6 months were 77.5% for patients treated with testosterone and 91.7% for those treated with clobetasol (P=0.02). The recurrence rates were 20% and 6.7% in the 2 groups, respectively (P=0.02). Premenopausal patients had higher remission rates and lower recurrence rates than postmenopausal patients (P>0.05). Considering whole patients, low remission rates and high recurrence rates were observed in patients who had had a hysterectomy (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of LS with a corticosteroid provided excellent remission rates. In this study, clobetasol 17-propionate 0.05% was superior to testosterone for both remission induction and maintenance therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayhan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guven
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Guvendag Guven
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakinci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gultekin
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kucukali
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002990:Clobetasol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D043343:Testosterone Propionate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007724:Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D002990:Clobetasol; D043343:Testosterone Propionate