OVULATION INHIBITORS CONTAINING CYPROTERONE-ACETATE OR DESOGESTREL IN THE TREATMENT OF HYPERANDROGENIC SYMPTOMS

An open, randomized, multicenter study was carried out to compare two oral contraceptives as regards their therapeutic efficacy in androgenization symptoms such as acne, seborrhea and hirsutism in women. The preparations used were the combination of 2 mg cyproterone acetate (CPA) with 0.035 mg ethinyl estradiol (EE) (Diane35®, Schering AG, Berlin‐West) and 0.150 mg desogestrel (DG) with 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol (Marvelon®, Organon, Oss, The Netherlands). The duration of therapy was 9 months. The combination of CPA‐EE was used by 83 patients for 658 cycles and the combination of DG‐EE by 79 women for 618 cycles. No pregnancy occurred under either therapy. Both preparations are well tolerated. However, some side‐effects, such as reduced libido, nervousness and breast tenderness, were observed more frequently (p < 0.05) in the DG‐EE group than among the users of the CPA‐EE Combination. The therapeutic outcome was better in the CPA‐EE group, especially in cases of facial acne (p<0.05). Seborrheic symptoms also responded better to the CPA‐EE therapy. The results show that the CPA‐EE combination is superior to the DG‐EE combination in the treatment of acne and seborrhoea. 1990 Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand