Long-term use of an LH-RH agonist in the management of uterine leiomyomas: a study of 17 cases.

Seventeen nonmenopausal women with symptomatic uterine myomas, diagnosed by clinical examination and confirmed by pelvic ultrasonography, were treated with a delayed-release microcapsule preparation of D-Trp-6-LH-RH (Decapeptyl) injected intramuscularly, every 28 days. The microcapsules were designed to release 100 micrograms/day for 30 days. The mean duration of treatment was 4.7 months (range, 1-11). In all patients, the pituitary-ovarian axis was suppressed after 1 month of treatment, and mean serum estradiol levels fell to 17.3 pg/mL (range, 5-80). There were no significant changes in serum LH and FSH levels. Fifteen patients (83%) experienced an improvement of such symptoms as abdominal pain and bleeding. Enlarged uteri decreased in 81% of patients during the treatment, and in 38% of them the decrease in uterine volume was more than 50%. Among the 12 myomas found in 10 women, 2 disappeared and 9 decreased in volume during the treatment; for 7 myomas the decrease was more than 50%. After Decapeptyl, eight patients did not require any additional therapy, four underwent surgery, and the others were treated with progestins. The side effects were mild, consisting mainly of hot flushes. Our findings suggest that Decapeptyl may be useful for the treatment of uterine myomas.