title: Natural IVF cycles may be desirable for women with repeated failures by stimulated IVF cycles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although many reports support stimulated in vitro fertilization, several patients do not respond to it well. Furthermore, stimulated treatment could be associated with reduced ovarian response. We describe three successful cases involving patients of advanced age from whom dominant follicles were retrieved during the natural cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients had failed to bear children through stimulated in vitro fertilization. In case 1, a follicle was retrieved after a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist was used to induce luteinizing hormone surge. In cases 2 and 3, pregnancy was achieved via completely natural cycles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One embryo was transferred every 16 cycles. Ongoing pregnancy--defined as pregnancy progressing beyond gestation week 9--was established in three cycles. The patients successfully delivered and had uneventful neonatal courses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mature oocyte retrieval followed by natural rather than stimulated in vitro fertilization might be a potential treatment for patients of advanced age when stimulated in vitro fertilization has been repeatedly unsuccessful.
authors.affiliation: Kato Ladies Clinic, 7-20-3, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan. tmc217@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takehara
authors.forename: Hirotsune
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaijima
authors.forename: Shokichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teramoto
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D017211:Treatment Failure