Treatment of Hirsutism with the Pure Antiandrogen Flutamide

In a study conducted 33 years ago, 20 patients with moderate to severe hirsutism were treated with the antiandrogen flutamide (250 mg twice daily) in combination with an oral contraceptive (Ortho 1/35). The study included 8 patients who had not received previous therapy and 12 who had not responded to treatments such as oral contraceptives, spironolactone, or dexamethasone. The treatment resulted in a rapid and marked decrease in hirsutism scores, reaching the normal range at 7 months, and also improved seborrhea, acne, and hair loss. Additionally, there was a decrease in plasma levels of luteinizing hormone, progesterone, and estradiol, while sex hormone-binding globulin levels, initially low in 18 of the 20 patients, increased significantly. No clinically significant side effects were reported.