Post-Finasteride Syndrome. Literature Review

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology and Dermatology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Post-finasteride syndrome (PFS) is an adverse effect of 5α-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) used for benign prostatic hyperplasia and androgenetic alopecia.
• Limited research exists globally on PFS, with only five articles published in Spain prior to this review.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive review of the global literature on post-finasteride syndrome.
• To include and analyze existing Spanish literature on the topic.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of articles published between 2011 and 2020 was conducted.
• Searches were performed in PubMed/Medline (English) and Google (Spanish) using relevant keywords.
• Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the collected data.

Main Results:

• Out of 64 initially identified articles, 40 were included in the review, focusing on PFS symptoms.
• The majority of studies (37/40) addressed male PFS, with limited data on female cases.
• Dermatology, Urology-Andrology, and Pharmacology were the leading specialties, with the USA, Italy, and Spain contributing the most publications.

Conclusions:

• Post-finasteride syndrome is a rare condition associated with finasteride use, presenting with sexual and systemic adverse effects.
• There is a global scarcity of research on PFS.
• This study represents the first comprehensive review of post-finasteride syndrome in Spain.