title: Diagnostic laparoscopy in primary and secondary infertility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose was to compare the diagnostic efficacy of laparoscopy between primary and secondary infertility and to define a subgroup in which the positive findings are low.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of the cases of 206 infertile women who underwent laparoscopy was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-two (39.8%) patients were found to have evidence of pelvic disease--20 (22.2%) with primary infertility and 62 (54.3%) with secondary infertility. The ratio of positive findings in secondary infertility was significant in comparison with the positive findings in primary infertility. In only 3 of the 20 patients with primary infertility was there no history of an abdominal operation, pelvic inflammatory disease, or an abnormal hysterosalpingography. Of the 62 women who suffered secondary infertility and had positive findings in laparoscopy, 15 had no history of suspect findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The diagnostic yield of laparoscopy for primary infertility in the absence of indications of mechanical factors is low. Therefore the need for diagnostic laparoscopy in these cases should be reconsidered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Bikur Cholim Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hovav
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hornstein
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Almagor
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yaffe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007047:Hysterosalpingography; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012661:Semen / Q000502:physiology