Effectiveness and tolerance of a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (gosereling) for the treatment of symptomatic endometriosis

Endometriosis is one of the most common benign gynecological diseases, affe cting an estimated 10-15% of all premenopausal women. In this open multicen tric prospective study, we investigated the effectiveness and tolerance of a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (goserelin) for the treatment of s ymptomatic endometriosis. One hundred and thirteen patients were included i n the study. During the treatment, we documented a relevant reduction in the rAFS score and in the additive diameter of the implants. In addition, we noted a reduc tion in pelvic pain and an improvement of symptoms on pelvic examination. T hese effects were also reported during the follow up visits (24 weeks). Onl y 12 patients had intolerable side effects (hot flushes, sweating during th e night, vaginal dryness, depression), which could be managed with transder mal 17 beta estradiol, without reducing therapeutic effectiveness. In conclusion, gonadotropin releasing hormone analogs proved to be all exce llent treatment for symptomatic endometriosis and are generally well tolera ted.