Transdermal testosterone treatment of hypogonadal men.

Hypogonadism, either primary or secondary, results in diminished libido and/or impotence. Conventional treatment consists of periodic intramuscular injections (usually bimonthly) of a depot testosterone preparation or daily oral ingestion of methyl testosterone. These conventional treatments may be associated with side effects, such as gynecomastia, liver function abnormalities and edema. A new method of administering testosterone is by daily application of a transdermal therapeutic system. We studied the efficacy and safety of the transdermal therapeutic system in 4 hypogonadal men. Three patients were treated for 12 weeks and 1 for 7 weeks, and they were evaluated weekly. Of 4 patients 3 had improvement in erectile and/or sexual function. Mean plasma testosterone levels increased significantly compared to pre-treatment values during 7 of 12 treatment weeks. There were no adverse effects of the transdermal therapeutic system as indicated by serial physical examinations, daily reports, blood chemistry studies, liver function tests, urinalysis and hematological profiles. This preliminary report of transdermal testosterone delivery indicates that it may provide an effective alternative method of gonadal steroid replacement.