Hm. Buckler et al., AN AUDIT OF ESTRADIOL LEVELS AND IMPLANT FREQUENCY IN WOMEN UNDERGOING SUBCUTANEOUS IMPLANT THERAPY, Clinical endocrinology, 42(5), 1995, pp. 445-450
OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to review our long-term use of sub
cutaneous oestradiol (E(2)) implant therapy for the treatment of clima
cteric symptoms in post-menopausal women, On the grounds that the aim
is to restore premenopausal serum E(2) levels, our declared clinical p
olicy is not to repeat implants even in the presence of symptoms if se
rum E(2) levels are >400 pmol/l. Therapy was with 50 mg E(2) implants
inserted subcutaneously in the lower abdominal wall. DESIGN All women
who had attended the gynaecological/endocrinological clinic who had re
ceived subcutaneous E(2) implants for the relief of climacteric sympto
ms between December 1981 and 1992 were included. RESULTS Between Decem
ber 1981 and December 1992, 275 women received a total of 759 50 mg E(
2) implants. The median length of implant therapy was 34.2 months (ran
ge 3.7-109.5 months), and the median number of implants per patient wa
s 4 and ranged from 1 to 13. One hundred and twenty-nine women had mor
e than four implants and their mean recorded serum E(2) level was 425
+/- 187 (mean +/-SD) pmol/l; the mean level over the first 24 months o
f therapy was 408 +/- 157 pmol/l. This was not different from the mean
value of the remaining period of therapy (439 +/- 168 pmol/l). Follow
ing the second implant there was no significant progressive rise in se
rum E(2) with time and implant number and the mean E(2) level per pati
ent was no higher in those patients who received implants more frequen
tly. The mean time between the first two implants was 9.7 +/- 0.4 mont
hs and between subsequent ones was 11.7 +/- 0.5 months. After the firs
t two implants there was no progressive change in this interval with t
ime. CONCLUSION This study shows that effective, safe and sympathetic
management of women with oestrogen deficient symptoms may be achieved
by use of two criteria to determine re-treatment; the return of sympto
ms, and a serum E(2) level no higher than 400 pmol/l. Once therapy is
established, E(2) implants may need to be prescribed only on an annual
basis. There appears to be no justification for giving E(2) implants
more frequently as this policy achieves satisfactory (physiological) p
remenopausal E(2) levels and good symptomatic relief without any evide
nce for accumulation of E(2) or 'tachyphylaxis'.