Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2008
Apr;22(2):333-9. Epub 2007 Aug 30.
Hormonal treatments for adenomyosis.
Fedele L, Bianchi S, Frontino G.
Fondazione Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina
Elena, Clinica Ostetrica e Ginecologica II,
Universit?di Milano, Istituto Luigi Mangiagalli,
Via della Commenda 12, 20122 Milano, Italy.
Like endometriosis and uterine myomas,
adenomyosis presents the typical characteristics
of oestrogen-dependent diseases. The medical
treatment of adenomyosis is based on the
hormonal dependency of the disease and its
strongly debated similarities with
endometriosis. Infact, despite the evident
differences between the two conditions, the
therapies that treat endometriosis effectively
have also been successful for the treatment of
adenomyosis. Although the two diseases have
distinct epidemiological features, they have the
same 'target tissue' for hormonal therapy,
namely ectopic endometrium. Recognized
approaches are systemic hormonal treatments,
which are generally used for endometriosis and
are capable of suppressing the oestrogenic
induction of the disease, and local hormonal
treatment that targets the ectopic endometrium
directly. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone
agonists, danazol and intrauterine
levonorgestrel- or danazol-releasing devices
have been used in the treatment of adenomyosis.
Despite the solid rational basis for its
hormonal treatment, few studies have been
performed on medical therapy for adenomyosis.
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