THE USE OF ANTIANDROGEN FLUTAMIDE IN THE TREATMENT OF HIRSUTISM

In this study the efficacy of flutamide, an antiandrogen which does no t have a steroid structure, or progestational and estrogenic activitie s, on hirsutism and hormone levels in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and idiopathic hirsutism (IH) was investigated. Ten patients with PCO S and nine patients with IH between 19 and 36 years of age were select ed for the study. They were given a 500 mg daily dose of flutamide and were followed up for clinical and hormonal effects at the second, six th, eighth and twelfth months of the treatment. The severity of hirsut ism was assessed according to the Ferriman-Gallwey's score. There was a slight decrease to below the pre-treatment level in serum LH at the end of the eighth month (P<0.05) and there was also a persistent decre ase in progesterone (P) after the second month of the treatment (P<0.0 5). No other significant change was observed in ovarian or adrenal and rogens. Clinical examinations revealed that after six months of the th erapy the dose of flutamide had caused a significant alleviation of hi rsutism and this continued during the following months.