title: Pregnancy and birth after high serum progesterone concentrations during the follicular phase in an in-vitro fertilization cycle with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist suppression.
abstract: This case illustrates the possibility of achieving a pregnancy and birth when elevated progesterone concentrations (> 4 ng/ml) are present during the follicular phase (from 6 days before human chorionic gonadotrophin injection) of a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist/menotrophin cycle for in-vitro fertilization (IVF). The present patient underwent three IVF/embryo transfer cycles in which progesterone concentrations were repeatedly increased from the midfollicular phase onwards. A pregnancy was achieved after the first IVF attempt but ended in a miscarriage in the 19th week of gestation. During the second IVF attempt an endometrial biopsy taken on the day of oocyte retrieval revealed an endometrial advancement of 2 days. A successful pregnancy and birth was again achieved after the third IVF attempt although progesterone concentrations were considerably increased from 6 days before the ovulatory stimulus.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Dutch-speaking Brussels Free University, Belgium.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ubaldi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smitz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bourgain
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Steirteghem
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Devroey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002064:Buserelin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D002064:Buserelin