PURPOSE: Finasteride is an inhibitor of human 5alpha-reductase, which results in a decrease in plasma and intraprostatic dihydrotestosterone(DHT) level. We investigated the changes of prostate volume(PV), transitional zone volume(TV), and PSA during and after administration of finasteride. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1995, 32 BPH patients treated with finasteride underwent surveillance after cessation of finasteride. Surveillance included measurements of PV, TV and PSA every 3 to 6 months. The mean age of the patients was 66.7 years(57-73). The mean duration of treatment and cessation were 8.6 months(6-12) and 8.0 months(6-12), respectively. The changes in PV, TV, and PSA were compared. RESULTS: The mean initial PV, TV, PSA were 45.7cc, 22.5cc, 2.72ng/ml, respectively. After treatment, PV, TV, PSA were reduced to 72.7%, 67.1%, 64.7% and 68.0%, 61.4%, 57.3% and 59.4%, 55.0%, 52.5% of the original values at 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. The reduction rate was maximum after the first 3 months(p=0.001). After discontinuing finasteride, PV, TV, PSA recovered to 71.0%, 71.2% 63.9% and 84.0%, 82.3%, 67.6% and 90.4%, 85.1%, 74.1% at 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. The recovery rates of PV and TV after 3 and 6 months were equal. However, recovery rate of PSA was maximum at 3 months and after then, constant until 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: During first 3 months` treatment, the decreasing rates of PV, TV and PSA were very considerable, after then, reduced. After cessation of medication the recovery rates of PV, TV were constant during first 6 months but PSA was maximum at first 3 months. The changes in clinical parameters during administration were fully recovered but it took slightly longer periods after cessation compared to those during of treatment. PSA is probably a predictor in the assessment of volume changes.
Finasteride* ; Humans ; Plasma ; Prostate*

No abstract available.
Alopecia* ; Dutasteride* ; Finasteride*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Finasteride* ; Rats* ; Spermatogenesis*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Castration* ; Finasteride* ; Prostate* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Finasteride* ; Risk Factors ; Venous Thrombosis*

Oral finasteride(Propecia(R)), 1mg/day, has been widely used as an effective treatment for male androgenetic alopecia since it had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) of U.S. in December 1997. Gynecomastia has been one of the most common adverse effects in the patients who were taking 5mg of oral finasteride(Proscar(R)). Recently, several cases of unilateral or bilateral finasteride induced gynecomastia have also been reported in 1mg of oral finasteride(Propecia(r)). We report two cases of finasteride(Propecia(R)) induced painful bilateral gynecomastia, which are the first published documentations in Korea.
Alopecia ; Documentation ; Finasteride ; Gynecomastia* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male

No abstract available.
Female ; Finasteride ; Hair ; Humans ; Pilot Projects

Low dose finasteride(1mg/d, Propecia(R)) has been widely used as an effective treatment for male androgenetic alopecia. Finasteride is an inhibitor of 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme responsible for testosterone metabolism to dihydrotestosteron(DHT). We report a case of painful, unilateral idiopathic gynecomastia aggravated by low dose finasteride for male androgenetic alpopecia. A 23-year-old man started treatment with Propecia(R), 1 mg per day. Two months later he presented with a painful enlargement of his right breast. Treatment was stopped and two months later the clinical manifestration had disappeared.
Alopecia ; Breast ; Finasteride* ; Gynecomastia* ; Humans ; Male ; Metabolism ; Testosterone ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: We evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of finasteride in the treatment of hemospermia, especially in prostatitis-related hemospermia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among the patients who visited our urologic department due to hemospermia from Jan 2000 to Oct 2003, 46 patients enrolled in the study. Semen analysis, expressed prostatic secretion, and transrectal ultrasonography were performed for all patients, and we determined whether or not the hemospermia was caused by inflammatory chronic non-bacterial prostatitis. We sorted all the subjects into 2 groups by the use of finasteride or not. We sub-divided the 2 groups by the presence or absence of prostatitis. In each of the 4 groups, the results were compared. Results were also recalculated after excluding sonographically abnormal cases. RESULTS: In the 35 finasteride-treated patients, the prostatitis group showed a 75% (12/16) success rate whereas the non-prostatitis group showed 31.6% (6/19) success. This difference was statistically significant (p=0.01). In the 11 non-finasteride patients, there was no difference in success rate between the prostatitis group (57.1%) and non-prostatitis group (50.0%). After excluding 15 sonographically abnormal patients, the finasteride-prostatitis group showed an 80% (8/10) success rate whereas the non-prostatitis group showed a 25% (3/12) success rate. CONCLUSIONS: Finasteride treatment in hemospermia was more successful in prostatitis than non-prostatitis patients. Efficacy was more prominent after excluding sonographically abnormal cases. Finasteride could be an useful agent in the treatment of prostatitis-related hemospermia. More extensive study is needed.
Finasteride* ; Hemospermia* ; Humans ; Prostatitis ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: An economic analysis of pharmacological therapy and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was conducted. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty six patients had undergone TURP from January to June 2000 were enrolled in this study. The costs associated with this group of patients were compared with those of 7 patients treated with medication (doxazosin, terazosin, tamsulosin, and finasteride only and alpha-blocker with finasteride). RESULTS: The mean cost for TURP was 1,900,000 won. The most expensive medical therapy was finasteride, which was followed by tamsulosin, terazosin, and doxazosin, with an estimated 12-month cost of 817,000won, 695,000won, 396,000won, and 372,000won respectively. The costs associated with doxazosin remained lower than those associated with TURP for approximately 5.3 years (the corresponding break-even point was 2.4 years for finasteride vs. TURP). CONCLUSIONS: Among the pharmacological therapies, doxazosin is the most cost effective. TURP was more cost effective than doxazosin therapy after 5.3 years. In view of the cost-effectiveness, TURP may be considered as the mode of primary therapy for the patients with severe symptoms of BPH.
Doxazosin ; Finasteride ; Humans ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate