Postoperative long-term maintenance therapy with oral contraceptives after gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog treatment in women with ovarian endometrioma.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this preliminary study was to assess the effect of cyclic monophasic oral contraceptives (OCs) as a postoperative long-term maintenance therapy (median 33.2 months) to suppress recurrence of endometrioma after conservative ovarian surgery followed by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog treatment.


METHODS
Retrospective clinical study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).


METHODS
Adolescent and premarital clinic in a university hospital.


METHODS
The study was performed on 51 patients who underwent conservative surgery for endometrioma followed by GnRH analog treatment for 6 months.


METHODS
We used cyclic monophasic OCs as maintenance therapy after surgical and medical treatment with GnRH analog for 6 months.


RESULTS
Cyclic monophasic OCs were offered to young patients (n=51, age=24.1+/-2.8 years) who did not want to conceive immediately, to prevent the recurrence of endometrioma after conservative surgery with 6 cycles of postoperative GnRH analog treatment. During the long-term follow-up period (median 41.2; range 19-94 months), no recurrences of the endometrioma occurred in the current OC users. One patient showed a recurrence of endometrioma at 12 months after the discontinuation of the OCs. The median duration of OC administration was 33.20 months (range 12-86). In addition, 4 of 10 patients became pregnant within 12 months of discontinuing the long-term OC therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Postoperative long-term maintenance therapy with OCs can effectively suppress endometrioma recurrence in adolescent and young patients.
Park
Hyun-Jung
HJ
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Koo
Young-Ah
YA
Yoon
Byung-Koo
BK
Choi
Dooseok
D
D000328:Adult; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017135:Desogestrel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016729:Leuprolide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D055815:Young Adult
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D003277:Contraceptives, Oral, Combined; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D017135:Desogestrel; D016729:Leuprolide