Reduction of Diameter of Hair Shaft among Women with Hirsutism

Hirsutism is a common endocrinological disorder and extremely distressing cosmetic condition in women, most often caused by increased production of androgen or peripheral hypersensitivity to normal androgen circulating levels. To evaluate the efficacy of spironolactone (aldactone) alone or in combination with oral contraceptive pills and /or metformin in the treatment of hirsute patients a prospective study had been conducted at the specialized clinic of endocrinology / outpatient department, Baghdad teaching hospital, for the period from July 2006 to January 2008. A six month follow up revealed a significant reduction in the diameter of hair shaft among hirsute women using aldactone alone or aldactone combined with oral contraceptive pills, 44.49 % and 42.85% respectively after 3 month of treatment. Six months treatment yield a statistically significant reduction in the hair shaft diameter with the optimum effect among women received aldactone combined with oral contraceptive pills achieving reduction of 60%, aldactone alone give a reduction of 52.49%, aldactone combined with metformin also result in a reduction of 51.2 % while women using aldactone combined with oral contraceptive pills and metformin found to have the minimal effect 37.5 % reduction. Aldactone as an antiandrogenic drug seem to induce an objectively estimated effect manifested in the percentage of reduction in mean diameter of hair shaft among hirsute patients if it is used alone or in combination with oral contraceptive pills and or metformi