POSTMENOPAUSAL ENDOMETRIAL HYPERPLASIA - ROLE OF DANAZOL THERAPY

OBJECTIVES: To confirm the effectiveness of danazol in the management of simple or complex endometrial hyperplasia without atypical features , as has been demonstrated previously. METHODS: Seventy-six patients a ffected by postmenopausal histologically-confirmed endometrial hyperpl asia with uterine bleeding were submitted to danazol therapy at a dose of 400 mg/day for 3 consecutive months. RESULTS: After cessation of t reatment, 82.8% of the patients (63/76 enrolled) showed a conversion o f the hyperplasia into atrophic (65.8%) secretory (11.9%) or prolifera tive (4.2%) endometrium at the histological examination. Uterine bleed ing disappeared, during the therapy, in 90% of the responders (59/63). CONCLUSIONS: Although 17.1% of the women had a persistence of the hyp erplasia and 8.4% of the symptom-free women relapsed after 4 months of follow-up, this experience confirms the effectiveness of danazol ther apy in hyperplastic endometrial lesions. Nevertheless, a study compari ng danazol and progestin therapy is required.