PROLONGED TREATMENT OF HIRSUTISM WITH FLUTAMIDE ALONE IN PATIENTS AFFECTED BY POLYCYSTIC-OVARY-SYNDROME

Hirsutism is a common symptom of women affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The effectiveness of the antiandrogen flutamide alone was studied in 25 patients affected by PCOS with severe hirsutism for period of 24 months. Seventeen of these patients had not been treated before and eight had had previous but unsatisfactory therapy. Nineteen patients showed a normal body weight (BMI < 25 kg/m(2)) whereas six were obese (BMI > 35 kg/m(2)). A chemical and endocrinological evaluation and an assessment of the degree of hirsutism, assigned by Ferriman-Gallwey score (mean 22 +/- 3.038), was performed under baseline conditions. Patients started treatment with flutamide (Eulexin(R), Schering-Plough, Kenilworth, USA) at the dose of 500 mg daily. A chronobiological assessment of gonadotropin episodic secretion and of gonadotropin response to GnRH challenge (10 mu g in bolus) was done before and on day 7 of flutamide administration. During treatment, our patients showed a marked and significant reduction of hirsutism starting from a score of 6 and reaching the maximum (9.6 + 2.1) at 24 months of therapy. No relevant hormonal changes or side-effects were observed during therapy. our data demonstrate that hirsutism in PCOS can rapidly and markedly respond to treatment with flutamide alone without important side-effects even if administered for a long period.