Dexamethasone as an adjuvant therapy for anovulatory, normoandrogenic patients during ovulation induction with exogenous gonadotropins.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of our study was to explore the effect of dexamethasone (DEX), a highly potent, long-acting glucocorticoid, on the treatment outcome of 74 anovulatory women aged 21 to 29 years, with normal gonadotropins, androgen, and prolactin (PRL) serum levels who failed to conceive on antiestrogen therapy.


METHODS
The patients received human menopausal gonadotropin/human chorionic gonadotropin (hMG/hCG) for ovulation induction. Starting on day 4 of the induced menstruation, hMG was administered in combination with DEX, 0.5 mg at night, or without DEX as an adjuvant treatment. The total amount of gonadotropins used, time required for stimulation, percentage of fertilization, serum estradiol levels, pregnancy rate, cumulative pregnancy rate, and abortions were recorded.


RESULTS
There were no differences in either the cumulative pregnancy rate (54.1% in the DEX group and 52.7% in the untreated group) or the abortion rates (21.7% in the DEX group compared to 20.8% in the untreated group). The other parameters investigated also did not differ significantly between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The overall results did not support DEX as a clinically useful adjuvant therapy for anovulatory, normoandrogenic patients.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
D
D
Bider
Y
Y
Menashe
M
M
Goldenberg
M
M
Dulitzky
A
A
Lifshitz
J
J
Dor
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology; D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects; D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood; D000858:Anovulation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005300:Fertility Agents, Female / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008596:Menotropins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D017211:Treatment Failure
D000728:Androgens; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D005300:Fertility Agents, Female; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary; D004958:Estradiol; D008596:Menotropins; D003907:Dexamethasone; D011388:Prolactin