[Danazol for treatment of fibrocystic mastopathy]

59 patients with extensive mastopathia, aged between 23 and 58 years, had been examined over a period of approximately 36 months. They were treated with danazol (Winobanin, Sanofi-Winthrop, Munich) at doses between 100 and 800 mg/day because of an extensive and partly persisting mastopathia. The documented period of treatment ranged between 40 and 774 days. According to the chosen medium daily dose the patients were divided into three groups (< 400 mg/d, 400-600 mg/d, > 600 mg/d). These groups were then subdivided according to criteria of symptoms, palpation findings, mammography and sonography. Between the onset and the end of treatment there was a significant improvement of mastopathia up to a complete recovery in more than 60% of the women. There were no significant systematic differences between the various dosages of danazol. In this respect it was impossible to verify assumed relation between dosage and success of treatment according to anamnestic or demographic factors. The objective evaluation by mammography and ultrasound showed an improvement in 81.4% of the patients, demonstrated by a decreased density of parenchyma and an increased subcutaneous fatty tissue of the mammae. The subjective success of therapy of the patients concerned was judged to be good in 75% of the cases by the doctor and in more than 63% by the patient herself. In conclusion, this study confirms that danazol offers very good therapeutic results for the treatment of the frequently persisting benign breast disease.