Successful treatment of severe endometriosis in two premenopausal women with an aromatase inhibitor

Eugene R Shippen, Eugene Shippen, Shippen ER, West WJ Jr, William J West, William West
Fertility and sterility · 2004 · vol. 81(5) , pp. 1395–1398 · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2003.11.027 · PMID:15136110 · W2070663522
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Two premenopausal women with severe endometriosis were successfully treated using an aromatase inhibitor.

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To treat severe endometriosis in premenopausal women with an aromatase inhibitor and to document the efficacy and side effects of this new treatment. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Clinical practice setting. PATIENT(S): Patients were premenopausal endometriosis cases confirmed by prior laparoscopy. INTERVENTION(S): Oral administration of the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole with the addition of 200-mg oral progesterone (P) capsules once daily, hs, and calcitriol 0.5 microg oral capsules twice daily. All three medications were given daily for 21 days followed by 7 days off, for a 28-day treatment cycle. Additionally, rofecoxib 12.5 mg was administered once a day continuously for the 28-day cycle. The dose could be increased to 25-50 mg daily as needed for increased pain. Six repeat 28-day cycles were planned for the treatment course depending on patient tolerance and response. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Reduction of symptoms, elimination of endometrial implants, and improvement in fertility potential in the future. Monitoring for ovarian hyperstimulation as a side effect of aromatase inhibitor therapy. Documentation of potential symptoms or side effects when an aromatase inhibitor is used in menstruating women. RESULT(S): Treatment resulted in a rapid, progressive reduction in symptoms over 3 months with the maintenance of remission of symptoms for over 24 months after treatment in both cases. There was confirmation of absence of disease in one case by follow-up laparoscopy 15 months after treatment. Pregnancy was achieved in both cases after 24 months. CONCLUSION(S): This is the first case report of successful treatment of severe endometriosis in premenopausal women with the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole combined with P, rofecoxib, and calcitriol. Treatment resulted in a rapid elimination of symptoms and was well tolerated in both cases.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Aromatase Inhibitors Aromatase Inhibitors Endometriosis Enzyme Inhibitors Nitriles Triazoles Adult Adult Anastrozole Anastrozole Drug Therapy, Combination Drug Therapy, Combination Endometriosis Endometriosis Enzyme Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Female Female Humans Humans

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

References (35)

Cited by (50)

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