title: Body mass index is an independent risk factor for the development of endometrial polyps in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the subgroup of patients in whom office hysteroscopy should be routinely performed before an in vitro fertilization (IVF) program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary education and research hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred twenty-three patients who underwent a uterine evaluation by office hysteroscopy before the IVF and embryo transfer cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  The office hysteroscopy was performed in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle before the IVF cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  The office findings: number of polyps, number of multiple polyps, and polyp size.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) had a higher number of endometrial polyps, but the difference was not statistically significant (28.9% vs. 18.3%). When comparing the patients according to BMI, patients with BMI >or=30 had a statistically significantly higher number of endometrial polyps versus BMI <30 (52% vs. 15%). On the other hand, obesity was positively correlated with the occurrence of polyps, size of the polyps, and occurrence of multiple number of polyps in the correlation analysis. In addition, logistic regression analysis using age, obesity, duration of infertility, and estradiol levels revealed that obesity was an independent prognostic factor for the development of endometrial polyps.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Office hysteroscopy should be performed in patients with BMI >or=30 because obesity may act as an initiator for the pathogenesis of endometrial polyps.
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Reside
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Onalan
authors.forename: Gogsen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Onalan
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tonguc
authors.forename: Tulin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozdener
authors.forename: Muammer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mollamahmutoglu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015907:Hysteroscopy / Q000379:methods; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D008796:Metrorrhagia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011127:Polyps / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult