ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Pediatrica 2008 December;60(6):1357-66

Copyright © 2008 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Low-dose flutamide in the treatment of hyperandrogenism in adolescents

Pizzo A., Borrielli I., Mastroeni M. T., Fattori A., Dugo C., Dugo N., Dinatale A.

Dipartimento di Scienze Ginecologiche e Ostetriche Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia Università degli Studi di Messina, Messina, Italia

Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate the results of the use of flutamide at low doses for the therapy of the iperandrogenism in adolescents.
Methods. The study enrolled 35 young women with acne and irsutism; 31 had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and 4 periferic iperandrogenism. In other 8 young women, sexually active, the flutamide has been associated with the hormonal contraceptive. On the three young women with iperinsulinism it has been decided to associate the flutamide with the metformina. All the young women were checked each month for the liver functional. Before the beginning of the therapy the menstrual situation, the Body Mass Index (BMI), the Ferriman’ s and Cremoncini’s score, the ovary’s ultrasound aspect, and the ormonal order were evaluated. Follow-up was made after three months and after six months after the beginning of the therapy with flutamide 62.5 mg/die.
Results. Only in 4 cases the therapy has been suspended due to collateral effects, soon regressed after one week of the treatment interruption. The results have demonstrated a overwhelming improvement of the peripheral symptoms of iperandrogenism in all patients.
Conclusion. The authors hope that flutamide could enter in the list of medicines normally used to treat the beauty flaws of policistic acne and to restore a hormonal order associated to an effective contraception.