The effect of long-term oral oestriol succinate therapy on the skin of castrated women.

The effect of three years oestriol succinate therapy (2 mg/day) on the skin was studied in 20 castrated women whose average age was 48 years. A control group whose average age was also 48 years, consisted of 7 patients who did not receive any treatment after castration. There was no significant reduction in epidermal thickness during the three year course of oestriol succinate therapy. On the other hand the significant thinning of the epidermis in the control group was observed three years after oophorectomy. The difference between the 3H-thymidine labelling indices in oestrogen and control groups was not significant three years after castration.