Long-term treatment of hirsutism: desogestrel compared with cyproterone acetate in oral contraceptives

• Published in: Fertility and sterility Vol. 55; no. 5; pp. 877 - 881
• Main Authors: Porcile, Arnaldo, Gallardo, Enrique
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.05.1991; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cholesterol - blood; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal - adverse effects; Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal - therapeutic use; Cyproterone - adverse effects; Cyproterone - analogs & derivatives; Cyproterone - therapeutic use; Cyproterone Acetate; Dehydroepiandrosterone - analogs & derivatives; Dehydroepiandrosterone - blood; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; Desogestrel; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone - blood; Genital system. Reproduction; Hirsutism - blood; Hirsutism - drug therapy; Humans; Luteinizing Hormone - blood; Medical sciences; Norpregnenes - adverse effects; Norpregnenes - therapeutic use; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Prolactin - blood; Testosterone - blood; Human; Hirsutism; Estrogen; Oral administration; Long term; Cyproterone; Ovarian hormone; Progestagen; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Female; Contraceptive; Hormonal investigation; Sex steroid hormone; Comparative Studies; Measurement; South America; Americas; Desogestrel; Contraceptive Agents; Anthropometry; Contraceptive Agents, Progestin; Lipids; Biology; Hormones; Research Methodology; Latin America; Oral Contraceptives, Low-dose; Luteinizing Hormone > analysis; Cyproterone Acetate; Contraceptive Methods; Lipid Metabolic Effects; Physiology; Hormone Antagonists; Oral Contraceptives; Chile; Contraceptive Agents, Female; Laboratory Examinations And Diagnoses; Pituitary Hormones; Contraceptive Agents, Estrogen; Gonadotropins; Testosterone > analysis; Contraception; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Control Groups; Ethinyl Estradiol; Family Planning; Examinations And Diagnoses; Endocrine System; Diseases; Studies; Androgens; Gonadotropins, Pituitary; Signs And Symptoms; Developing Countries; Prolactin > analysis
• ISSN: 0015-0282; 1556-5653
• DOI: 10.1016/S0015-0282(16)54291-5

Effectiveness of 2-year treatment of hirsutism with low estrogen oral contraceptives (OCs) containing nonandrogenic or antiandrogenic progestogen. Evaluation of changes in plasma lipids. Ten patients treated with desogestrel 150μg+30μg ethinyl estradiol, 6 with desogestrel 150μg+50μg ethinyl estradiol, 10 with cyproterone acetate 2mg+35μg ethinyl estradiol. Random allocation. Paired comparisons. Control group: 19 normal women, not treated. Academic tertiary care. Women with hirsutism (idiopathic and/or polycystic ovary), 24 of 26 completed treatment. Two-year treatment. Hirsutism score, plasma testosterone, and lipids. Initial hirsutism scores (11.8±0.6 SE) declined with treatment (−7.2±0.4, P<0.01) to 4.7±0.6, almost reaching control (3.6±0.3). Initial plasma cholesterol (4.33mmol/L±0.30 SE), similar to control (4.78±0.24), increased slowly over 2years (+2.04±0.34, P<0.01). High-density lipoproteins cholesterol (1.05mmol/L±0.04 SE), similar to control (1.12±0.07), did not change the 1st year and increased at 2years (+0.57±0.11, P<0.01). No differences appeared among treatment groups. Treatment is very effective, 2years for best results. The OCs tested are equally efficacious. Changes in plasma lipids are of some concern but of difficult interpretation.