Management of patients receiving long-term treatment with mifepristone.

Objective: To determine clinical side effects and biochemical and hematological abnormalities in patients with nonresectable meningioma on long-term mifepristone (RU 486) therapy.

Design: Long-term mifepristone administration in patients with meningioma.

Setting: Outpatient clinic of a university hospital.

The histrelin implant: a novel treatment for central precocious puberty.

Objective: Standard treatment of central precocious puberty (CPP) consists of intramuscular or subcutaneous administration of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist (GnRHa) at 3- to 4-week intervals. Although generally effective in suppressing clinical and laboratory parameters of puberty, GnRHa injections are painful, and the need for monthly clinic visits may contribute to poor compliance. Recently, a subcutaneous implant was developed that releases the GnRHa histrelin at an average rate of 65 microg/day.

Vaginal ring delivering estradiol and progesterone: a possible alternative to relieve climacteric symptoms.

Background: Relief of climacteric symptoms is currently the main role of hormone therapy. However, vaginal bleeding complicating this therapy is among the leading causes for its early discontinuation.

Objectives: To assess the effect of a vaginal ring delivering estradiol and progesterone in postmenopausal women and to determine whether continuous administration can relieve climacteric symptoms, produce an acceptable pattern of vaginal bleeding and control endometrial proliferation.

Reversibility of androgen deprivation therapy in patients with prostate cancer.

Purpose: We determined the duration of testosterone suppression and recovery in patients with prostate cancer treated with a hydrogel implant releasing the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist histrelin or treated with a depot GnRH agonist.

Materials And Methods: Luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T) responses were monitored in 3 groups. Group 1 comprised 7 patients treated with histrelin implant, which is inserted into the arm of the patient while under local anesthesia, and suppresses LH and testosterone.

Mifepristone does not induce cervical softening in non-pregnant women.

Background: Many techniques have been developed to soften the cervix to reduce complications following surgical dilatation. Progesterone inhibits myometrial contractility and its secretion during pregnancy ensures cervical competence. We used the progesterone antagonist mifepristone as a cervical ripening agent and evaluated its effect prior to office hysteroscopy.