Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for aneuploidy screening in women older than 37 years.
OBJECTIVE
To provide background information about the average aneuploidy and implantation rates of older patients after IVF with preimplantation genetic diagnosis for aneuploidy screening (PGD-AS) when the patients are subdivided into age categories; and to compare pregnancy outcome data after PGD-AS in this group of patients with a similar control group.


METHODS
Retrospective clinical study.


METHODS
Patients in an academic reproductive medicine unit.


METHODS
All patients 37 years or older who had PGD-AS between October 1999 and December 2003 and all pregnant patients 37 years or older who had IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection without PGD-AS during the same period of time.


METHODS
IVF with PGD-AS.


METHODS
Aneuploidy rate, miscarriage rate, live birth rate, implantation rate, multiple pregnancy rate, and prenatal testing.


RESULTS
Three hundred ninety-four PGD-AS cycles of patients between 37 and 46 years of age were analyzed. The aneuploidy rate gradually increased with age. The implantation rate remained similar over all age groups. There was a trend to a lower miscarriage and multiple pregnancy rate in the PGD-AS group and a higher delivery/live birth rate. There were five elective terminations of pregnancy after prenatal testing and three late miscarriages due to prenatal testing in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for aneuploidy screening can give valuable information to older patients concerning the reason why their IVF cycles are unsuccessful and whether it is worthwhile to continue IVF treatment, and it can help patients to avoid the emotional trauma that can occur after prenatal testing during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Platteau
Peter
P
Center for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital, Dutch-Speaking Brussels Free University, Brussels, Belgium. peter.platteau@az.vub.ac.be
Staessen
Catherine
C
Michiels
An
A
Van Steirteghem
Andre
A
Liebaers
Inge
I
Devroey
Paul
P
D000328:Adult; D000782:Aneuploidy; D005260:Female; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D050498:Live Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D019836:Preimplantation Diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies