Gestrinone versus danazol in the treatment of endometriosis

Thirty-nine infertile patients with laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis were allocated randomly to treatment with gestrinone 2.5 mg twice weekly (20 patients) or danazol 600 mg/day (19 patients) for 6 months. If amenorrhea was not obtained after 1 month of treatment, the gestrinone dose was increased to 2.5 mg three times a week (7 patients) and the danazol dose to 800 mg/day (2 patients). One month after the end of the treatment, a repeat laparoscopy was performed only in the women who agreed (7 of the gestrinone treated group, 9 of the danazol group). All of the patients were followed for at least 12 months after the end of the treatment, during which time they attempted to conceive. There was a marked improvement of pain symptoms during the treatment in the patients of both groups. The repeat laparoscopy did not reveal significant differences between the two groups in the reduction of the disease extent. Eighteen months after treatment suspension, the cumulative pregnancy rate was 33% in the patients treated with gestrinone and 40% in those treated with danazol. Pain symptoms recurred during the follow-up in 57% of the gestrinone and 53% of the danazol group. The side effects were more frequent and severe with the danazol treatment, whereas those caused by gestrinone were mostly weight gain and acne. The results of this study suggest that gestrinone is as effective as danazol in the treatment of infertility associated with endometriosis and is better tolerated.