In a prospective study 911 patients were treated over a period of 5 years (M = 2.2) or a total of 2007 treatment years with
estriol succinate oral (
Synapause, 2-12 mg per day). The treatment was very effective in the removal of all typical climacteric complaints and of the atrophic genital changes caused by
estrogen deficiency. Subjective side effects were seldom seen and without practical importance for the treatment. Objective, grave side effects were only few: one superficial phlebo-
thrombosis, 2 cases of
thrombophlebitis, one
carcinoma in situ of the portio vaginalis uteri and 2
mammary cancers were seen. The
carcinoma had probably no causal relationship to the treatment. Embolies,
myocardial infarctions, cerebrovascular and liver-gall bladder complications did not occur during treatment. The rate of
uterine bleedings was low. The incidence of all complications was not increased by
estriol succinate; but was even lower than expected. Endometrial and
ovarian cancers were not seen.
Estriol succinate is accordingly a very effective and well tolerated preparation against climacteric complaints, exerting no significant side effects. It is remarkable that it does not proliferate the endometrium when given in one dose a day.
Estriol succinate can therefore be characterized as the
estrogen to be favoured for the treatment of postclimacteric women, who do not want to have
uterine bleedings any longer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)