[Non-virilizing hormonal therapy in women with secondary disorders of sexual responsiveness]

26 women with secondary disturbance of sexual responsiveness were treated mainly with dehydroepiandrosterone preparations. The sexual tonus was tested before and after treatment by a sexual score system previously described. Urinary 17-ketosteroid and plasma testosterone fractions were controlled in 17 patients; these values were, in general, below the normal range before treatment. Treatment was considered to be successful in 17 patients, while in the remaining 9, who mainly belonged to the group of younger patients, no success was achieved. However, the results point out that therapeutic success with hormones of low biological activity can be expected only after numerous months of treatment. The pattern obtained on determination of hormonal parameters usually corresponded to the results of treatment.