Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of an original combined therapy with cyproterone acetate, 2 mg, and ethinylestradiol, 35 microgram (Diane 35), plus finasteride (5 mg) for 2 weeks per month with that of Diane 35 alone in hirsute women.
Design: Prospective randomized, single-blinded study.
Setting: Outpatients in an academic research environment.
Patient(s): Fifty women with idiopathic hirsutism (IH) or the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Intervention(s): Group 1 (n = 25) received Diane 35 alone and group 2 (n = 25) received Diane 35 plus finasteride. The latter drug was administered using a new therapeutic scheme: 14 consecutive days for each therapeutic cycle.
Main outcome measure(s): Hormonal evaluation was done before beginning treatment and after 3 and 6 months of therapy. Hirsutism was graded at 3-month intervals.
Result(s): The combination of Diane 35 plus finasteride for 14 days significantly decreased the hirsutism score after 3 months of therapy, while Diane 35 alone induced this effect after 6 months.
Conclusion(s): Finasteride in combination with Diane 35 for 14 days is effective, well accepted, and safe in hirsute patients, as the amount of antiandrogenic drugs administered is much lower than that in conventional treatment.