Ketoconazole Therapy for Women with Acne and/or Hirsutism

August 1990 in “ The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism ”

Stefano Venturoli, Raffaella Fabbri, Luca Dal Prato, Barbara Mantovani, M. Capelli, Otello Magrini, Carlo Flamigni

TLDR Ketoconazole reduced hair growth and improved acne in women, but caused side effects needing careful monitoring.

In a study from 1990, 42 women with acne and/or hirsutism were treated with 400 mg/day of ketoconazole for 3-6 months. The treatment resulted in a decrease in androstenedione, total and free testosterone, 5 alpha dihydrotestosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone levels, while 17 alpha hydroxyprogesterone, estradiol, ACTH, cortisol, LH, and FSH levels increased. Hair growth rate and diameter also decreased significantly. After 6 months, 14 subjects showed evident improvement in hirsutism, while 22 women who did not complete the therapy showed no significant change. Acne improved in all cases. However, side effects such as headache, nausea, hair loss, hepatitis, and biochemical changes were reported, indicating that ketoconazole treatment requires careful patient selection and monitoring.

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research Ketoconazole Therapy for Women with Acne and/or Hirsutism

46 citations, August 1990 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism”

Ketoconazole reduced hair growth and improved acne in women, but caused side effects needing careful monitoring.