Relapse of Hirsutism Following Long-Term Successful Treatment with Estrogen-Progestogen Combination

    March 2000 in “ Clinical endocrinology ”
    Waleed Kokaly, T. J. McKenna
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    TLDR Most patients experienced hirsutism again after stopping hormone treatment, indicating long-term treatment is needed to maintain results.
    In a retrospective study of 57 patients with idiopathic hirsutism or polycystic ovary syndrome treated with a combination of ethinyl oestradiol and cyproterone acetate (EE-CA), 52 achieved a satisfactory clinical response with a decrease in Ferriman and Gallwey scoring system (FG) from 12.9 +/- 3.6 to 5.5 +/- 2.5 and testosterone/sex hormone binding globulin ratio (T/SHBG) from 11.3 +/- 9.5 to 1 +/- 0.8. After a mean treatment duration of 28.2 +/- 13.7 months, 34 patients were followed up, and 28 experienced a relapse of hirsutism within 6.15 +/- 2.8 months after treatment withdrawal. Only six patients did not relapse during an 18.8 +/- 7.8 month follow-up, and these patients had been treated for a significantly longer period (40 +/- 6.9 months). The study concluded that while EE-CA is effective in treating hirsutism, with a 90% initial success rate, there is an 80% relapse rate after treatment cessation, suggesting that long-term treatment, likely for at least 3-4 years, is necessary to maintain reduced hair growth.
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