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CHRONIC TREATMENT REGIMENS FOR HIRSUTISM IN WOMEN: EFFECT ON BLOOD PRODUCTION RATES OF TESTOSTERONE AND ON HAIR GROWTH
Author(s) -
CASEY JOHN H.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1975.tb01539.x
Subject(s) - hirsutism , medicine , testosterone (patch) , endocrinology , diabetes mellitus , insulin resistance , polycystic ovary
SUMMARY Twenty‐five women with hirsutism were studied before and during treatment aimed empirically at suppressing testosterone production by adrenals, ovaries or both. Mean basal plasma testosterone was 70 ± 30 ng/dl, significantly ( P <0.01) higher than the mean of twenty‐three normal women; basal metabolic clearance rate (MCR) of testosterone was also higher ( P <0.01) than that reported for normal women. Production rate (PR) of testosterone exceeded 417 μg/24 h (1 SD above the mean reported for normal women), in nineteen of the twenty‐five patients. After 4 months, small dose betamethasone therapy (0.5 mg at bed time) had reduced the mean PR of testosterone in thirteen patients from 509 μg/24 h to 356 μg/24 h ( P = 0.05); anovulatory steroids reduced mean PR of testosterone in nine from 612 μg/24 h to 345 μg/24 h ( P <0.05, >0.025), and the combination of both therapies in ten reduced PR of testosterone from 528 μg/24 h to 148 μg/24 h ( P <0.001). The latter regimen had moderate success in reducing hair growth (in six out of ten). Fourteen of the twenty‐five claimed benefit in hirsutism and all thirteen with acne were improved. In individual cases, clinical benefit did not correlate well with reduction in PR of testosterone. Freedom from undesirable side effects allows these well‐accepted forms of treatment to be given even longer trials.