THE EFFECT OF ESTRIOL ON THE CYTOLOGY OF URETHRA AND VAGINA IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH GENITOURINARY SYMPTOMS

In a double-blind, randomised trial, 62 postmenopausal women with geni to-urinary symptoms were treated with oestriol or matching placebo for 4 weeks. Estriol (Synapause-E(3), Nourypharma Nederland) was given or ally for 4 weeks in a single daily dose (8 mg/day first week, 4 mg/day second and third week, 2 mg/day fourth week). The influence of estrio l on the vaginal and urethral epithelium was assessed by using the kar yopycnotic index and the maturation value. As we expected, it was conf irmed that estriol has a remarkably beneficial effect on the vaginal e pithelium. This also applies to the epithelium of the urethra, althoug h the effect is much less obvious.