title: Efficacy of vaginal use of topical estriol in postmenopausal women with urogenital atrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluates the effect of intravaginal estriol on urogenital atrophy, Pap smear parameters, colposcopy parameters and discomfort during gynecological examination.
  
  
  METHODS
  31 postmenopausal women who had not used hormone therapy in the previous six months were studied. All women used intravaginal estriol, 1 mg/day for 21 days. The following variables were analyzed before and after treatment: complaints of urogenital atrophy; cytological parameters, colposcopic parameters, and subjective evaluation of discomfort during gynecologic examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All urogenital atrophy complaints improved after treatment. At the first visit, 45.2% of women presented a predominance of profound cells, 51.6% with predominance of intermediate cells, and 3.2% with predominance of superficial cells. At the second visit, these rates were 35.5%, 64.5%, and 0%, respectively. Evaluation of the maturation index showed that 83.9% of women had atrophic Pap smears, and 16.1% showed good estrogenic level before treatment. At the second visit, atrophic smears occurred in 12.9%, and 87.1% of women exhibited good estrogenic level (chi2 = 20.045; p = 0.000). Colposcopy showed that 71% of women had atrophic colpitis and/or petequiae before treatment, while atrophy after therapy was present in only 6.4%. The evaluation of other colposcopic parameters also improved after treatment. Great discomfort was reported by 19.4% before and by 0% after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravaginal estriol 1 mg/day for a period of 21 days was efficient in improving urogenital atrophy, Pap smear parameters and colposcopic evaluation in postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Gynecology Department, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. acchuery@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A C S
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Chuery
authors.forename: N M de Góis
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Speck
authors.forename: K F Q
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: de Moura
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Belfort
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sakano
authors.forename: J C L
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ribalta
mesh_terms: D000282:Administration, Intravaginal; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy / Q000188:drug therapy; D004964:Estriol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D052776:Female Urogenital Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000187:drug effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000473:pathology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D004964:Estriol