Low dose intranasal nafarelin for the treatment of endometriosis

Twenty-five women with regular menstruation and laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis received 100 mcg nafarelin intranasally twice daily for six months in an open study. American Fertility Society (AFS) laparoscopic scores pre- and post-treatment, symptom severity, hormonal status, bone density and biochemical indices of bone turnover were studied. Five patients were still menstruating at three months and nafarelin was increased to 400 mcg daily. At the end of treatment, the median serum estradiol was 57 pmol/l and all patients were amenorrhoeic. AFS scores for endometriosis improved significantly in 19/23 (82.6%) patients (p = 0.001). Adhesions were not affected. Symptom severity scores were markedly decreased (p < 0.0001) and remained so six months after the end of treatment. Biochemical indices of bone activation were increased but bone loss was insignificant. During treatment, 23/25 patients reported hot flushes. Nafarelin 200 mcg daily significantly reduced signs and symptoms of endometriosis, although five patients needed a dosage increase before menses stopped. The study suggests that lower doses of nafarelin may be efficacious, although symptomatic changes should be treated with caution due to the open and non-comparative nature of the study.