Treatment of estrogen-dependent gynecological disorders with the gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist buserelin

The authors examined the effect and tolerability of buserelin in 40 women with endometriosis and ten women with uterine leiomyoma. Buserelin was given intranasally, 200 micrograms three times a day for 6 months. Laparoscopy was performed before and after, and ultrasonography during the treatment. Hormone and lipid profiles and other biochemical tests were run during the treatment. The bone mineral density was tested by dual photon absorptiometry before and after therapy in a group of patients. Although most of the patients complained of hot flushes, no women dropped out. AFS mean pelvic score decreased from 24.10 to 6.95 and the size of the fibroids decreased by 69% at the end of 6 months of treatment. In conclusion, our data suggest that the use of GnRH agonist has a place in the treatment of endometriosis and uterine leiomyoma but further studies are needed to conclude that buserelin given intranasally at a dose of 600 micrograms/day for 6 months is an alternative to other conventional medical treatment modalities in terms of pregnancy and recurrence rates.