ACCEPTANCE, TOLERANCE AND EFFECTS ON QUAL ITY-OF-LIFE OF TREATMENT OFHIRSUTE WOMEN WITH CYPROTERONE-ACETATE - COMPARISON OF ASSOCIATION WITH ORAL ESTRADIOL TO ASSOCIATION WITH TRANSDERMAL ESTRADIOL

67 women (aged 16-40) with hirsutism and/or other signs of hyperandrog enism (acne, androgenic alopecia, cycle disturbances) have been treate d for one year with cyproterone acetate + estradiol. Patients have bee n randomly assigned to therapy with cyproterone acetate and estradiol valerate per or or cyproterone acetate and transdermal estradiol. Acce ptance, tolerance and effects on quality of life of this treatment hav e been assessed using a self questionnaire completed with questions fo r assessment for compliance. Among patients who have had a full course of treatment, 54 have fullfiled the end-of-study quality of life ques tionnaire. The queries allow calculation of a relational well-being sc ore and of an emotional well-being score. The answers to the initial q uestionnaire show in a high percentage of patients emotional trouble ( depressive state, anxiety, irritability) and disturbances in relationa l life. The hirsutism score has been found to be significantly correla ted with anxious trouble but not with the global quality of life score . The treatment has resulted in a significant improvement in acceptanc e of being exposed to view (p < 0,01), self-assurance (p < 0,01) as we ll as emotional well-being score (p < 0,05), without any significant d ifference between the 2 therapeutics groups. Measurement of treatment acceptance with a visual analogic scale has been found globally very s atisfactory by patients from the 2 groups. Compliance of treatment wit h transdermal estradiol turned out to be lesser in younger patients bu t is better in patients in whom emotional balance has been improved by therapy. This clinical study confirms the beneficial effects of treat ment of hirsute women with cyproterone acetate on their psyche and qua lity of life, and suggests that the acceptance is similar with the 2 p atterns of use (association with oral estradiol or with transdermal es tradiol.