Spironolactone in the Treatment of Hirsutism

    January 1986 in “ Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica ”
    Michael Chapman, Maurice Katz, Mitchell Dowsett, William M. Hague, S. L. Jeffcoate, C. J. Dewhurst
    From the encyclopedia
    Spironolactone →

    powerful topical and oral anti-androgen used mostly by women

    Cyproterone →

    a synthetic anti-androgen and weak progestogen that inhibits DHT binding to androgen receptor

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    Studysummary In this study, spironolactone treatment reduced hair growth in 17 out of 30 patients with hirsutism, but was less effective compared to cyproterone acetate–estrogen therapy.
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    In a study from 1986, 35 patients with hirsutism were treated with 100 mg of spironolactone for 25 days per menstrual cycle over a period of 6 months. Five patients withdrew due to side effects such as nausea and polymenorrhea, which was a problem for 16 patients in total. Out of the 30 patients who completed the study, 17 experienced a significant reduction in hair growth, as measured by Ferriman and Gallwey hair scores (p<0.05). Additionally, there was a significant decrease in serum testosterone levels (p<0.05). However, the treatment with spironolactone alone was found to be less effective than previous treatments using a combination of cyproterone acetate and estrogen.
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