The use of andriol in treatment of androgen deficiency in transsexual women.

In search of a non-invasive, long-term acting form of androgen to be used in female-to-male transsexuals, testosterone undecanoate (Andriol, Organon) was investigated from clinical and laboratory points of view. The therapy resulted in a significant elevation of androgens with a considerable increase of the free testosterone fraction, desired virilization and somatic changes to a masculine phenotype. Testosterone undecanoate provides sufficiently high androgen levels without significant influence on the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. The treatment impaired neither liver function nor glucose tolerance. It is concluded that this drug is suitable for hormonal preparation before the reconstructive therapy to males.