[Medical treatment of endometriosis: comparative study of leuprolide acetate and danazol]

Hypo-oestrogenaemia following surgical oophorectomy leads to a regression of the ectopic endometrial tissue. A medical and transitory oophorectomy can be obtained using leuprolide ac., an analogue of LH-RH. In this study we compare the results of therapy with danazol or leuprolide in the treatment of endometriosis. Fifty patients affected by endometriosis were selected laparoscopically and recorded under the classification of American Fertility Society. 20-40 year old women who were admitted had not received any therapy for endometriosis within the previous 12 months. They were allocated at random to open treatment with intramuscular injection of leuprolide (3.75 mg/monthly) or oral danazol. The dose regimen used for this last drug was 600 mg/daily in the majority of patients. 47 women completed a six months therapy, and 42 underwent to a second laparoscopy to evaluate the effects of the treatment. Both danazol and leuprolide were associated to a decreasing of clinical symptoms and to adverse effects that we described in this paper.