High outcome predictability after IVF using a combined score for zygote and embryo morphology and growth rate.
BACKGROUND
A scoring system has been developed to determine preimplantation embryo quality, and used to select embryos for transfer into the uterus of patients.


RESULTS
The system was used to study early embryo development and to test whether these scores alone can accurately predict IVF outcome. Following zygote and embryo scores through early development, the data showed that a top quality zygote does not necessarily indicate that the resulting embryo will be top quality after in-vitro culture. The embryo quality score can change dramatically when embryos are cultured to day 2 or 3 post-fertilization. Pregnancy rates and implantation rates were compared with the cumulative and separated zygote and embryo scores. Analysis of the predictability of scoring systems suggested that morphological scores alone are relatively unpredictive of IVF outcome. When weighted for in-vitro growth rate, scores were highly predictive, more so than the rate of development alone.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggested that a combination of in-vitro growth rate and morphological analysis both of zygotes and embryos was highly indicative of outcome after IVF. The results can be adopted to the single embryo transfer approach to IVF.
Area Funzionale di Medicina della Riproduzione, Università degli Studi Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Giuseppe
G
De Placido
Martin
M
Wilding
Ida
I
Strina
Erminia
E
Alviggi
Carlo
C
Alviggi
Antonio
A
Mollo
Maria Teresa
MT
Varicchio
Achille
A
Tolino
Cristina
C
Schiattarella
Brian
B
Dale
D001755:Blastocyst / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015053:Zygote / Q000648:ultrastructure*