The use of cyproterone acetate/ethinyl estradiol in hyperandrogenic skin symptoms – a review

AbstractIntroduction: Hyperandrogenism affects approximately 10–20% of women of reproductive age. Hyperandrogenic skin symptoms such as hirsutism, acne, seborrhea and alopecia are associated with significant quality of life and psychological impairment. Women with abnormalities in androgen metabolism may have accompanying anovulation and/or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), both of which have reproductive and metabolic implications if left untreated. Cyproterone acetate (CPA), combined with ethinylestradiol (EE), is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe acne related to androgen-sensitivity (with or without seborrhea) and/or hirsutism, in women of reproductive age.Objective: To review the data on the efficacy and safety of CPA 2 mg/EE 35 μg for the treatment of hyperandrogenic skin symptoms in women.Methods: A non-systematic narrative review based on a literature search of the PubMed database.Results: Seventy-eight studies were identified. The majority of sufficiently powered studies show a hig...