Treatment of endometrial hyperplasia with a danazol-releasing intrauterine device: a prospective study

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of a danazol-releasing intrauterine device (D-IUD) in the treatment of endometrial hyperplasia. Twenty patients with endometrial hyperplasia including 14 with simple endometrial hyperplasia and 2 with complex endometrial hyperplasia (group A), and 4 with atypical endometrial hyperplasia (group B) were enrolled in the prospective study between August 1999 and December 2003. During and just after the treatment, improvement was seen in all patients. Simple or complex endometrial hyperplasia (group A) demonstrated regression to a normal secretory endometrium (38% of group A), pseudodecidual stromal change (31%) and glandular atrophy (25%), and miscellaneous change (inflammation, necrosis, etc.) (38%). Atypical hyperplasia (group B) demonstrated regression to a normal secretory endometrium (25% of group B), pseudodecidual stromal change (75%), glandular atrophy (50%) and miscellaneous change (granulation) (25%). In group A, 2 women conceived after completion of the treatment. The recurrence rate in patients with endometrial hyperplasia (groups A and B) in the follow- up was 20% and acceptable as compared with other studies. The pretreatment menstrual interval patterns of the patients were maintained peri- and post-treatment. These data indicate that D-IUD therapy might be a novel and effective method for the treatment of endometrial hyperplasia.