Blastocyst formation, pregnancy, and birth derived from human oocytes cryopreserved for 5 years.
OBJECTIVE
To report a live birth after the transfer of a single blastocyst derived from a human oocyte cryopreserved for 5 years.


METHODS
Case report.


METHODS
Private assisted reproduction center.


METHODS
A 39-year-old woman with tubal infertility and her partner with male-related infertility.


METHODS
Oocyte cryopreservation (in 1.5 mol/L 1,2-propanediol and 0.3 mol/L sucrose by slow freezing-rapid thawing protocol) when the patient was 34 years old. Oocyte thawing after 5 years of cryostorage. Insemination by intracytoplasmic sperm injection of the three best surviving oocytes, according to the Italian law regulating assisted reproductive technology.


METHODS
Oocyte survival after thawing. Fertilization, cleavage, and embryo development into blastocyst stage.


RESULTS
Four of six mature (metaphase II) frozen oocytes survived after thawing. Three of them were injected: these three oocytes were fertilized, and one developed into a five-cell embryo on day 3. This embryo developed into blastocyst and was transferred on day 6. A healthy female neonate weighing 3,410 g was born.


CONCLUSIONS
After 5 years of storage in liquid nitrogen, cryopreserved oocytes with a slow cooling-rapid thawing protocol can develop in vitro to blastocyst stage and produce a live birth.
Parmegiani
Lodovico
L
Reproductive Medicine Unit, GynePro Medical Centers, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. l.parmegiani@gynepro.it
Fabbri
Raffaella
R
Cognigni
Graciela Estela
GE
Bernardi
Silvia
S
Pocognoli
Patrizia
P
Filicori
Marco
M
D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section; D015925:Cryopreservation; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007246:Infertility / Q000628:therapy*; D050498:Live Birth; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome