Genetic counseling: a consumers' view
Leonard, C.O.; Chase, G.A.; Childs, B.
New England Journal of Medicine 287(9): 433-439
1972
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-4793 PMID: 4261528 DOI: 10.1056/nejm197208312870904Document Number: 574961
A group of 150 Belgian women aged 17-47 taking various oral contraceptives was compared with a control group of 400 with respect to incidence of cholasma and piloseborrheic disorders. While taking pills, 10% of alopecia and 5.3% of juvenile acne cases were improved, but the following symptoms appeared: hypertrichosis in 4%, alopecia in 14.6, juvenile acne in 16.6%, and rosaceous acne in 3.3%. The incidence of these symptoms in the controls was cholasma .75%, hypertrichosis 5.25%, alopecia 11.5%, juvenile acne 21%, and acne rosacea 1%. The pill seemed to aggravate cholasma and rosaceous acne or to improve piloseborrheic symptoms, depending on whether the formulation was dominant in estrogen or progestagen.