Two successful pregnancies following autotransplantation of frozen/thawed ovarian tissue.
BACKGROUND
Cryopreservation of the ovarian cortex with subsequent autotransplantation has, on an experimental basis, been performed to preserve fertility in women being treated for a malignant disease. The present study reports ovarian activity and pregnancies following autotransplantation of frozen/thawed ovarian tissue.


METHODS
One complete ovary was cryopreserved from each of six patients who were 26-35 years old prior to treatment. Tissue from three of the patients was transported 4-5 h on ice prior to cryopreservation. After a period of 17-32 months, orthotopic autotransplantation was performed replacing 20-60% of the tissue. Two patients received additional heterotopic transplants.


RESULTS
In all cases, the tissue restored menstrual cyclicity 14-20 weeks following transplantation. Four of the six women conceived following assisted reproduction: two women (who had the tissue transported 4-5 h prior to cryopreservation) each, based on the orthotopic transplanted tissue, delivered one healthy child (February 2007 and January 2008); one woman miscarriaged in gestational Week 7; and the other had a positive hCG test but no clinical pregnancy. The remaining two women did not become pregnant.


CONCLUSIONS
Two additional healthy children have been born as a result of the ovarian cryopreservation procedure. In both cases, the ovarian tissue was transported 4-5 h prior to freezing demonstrating that hospitals may offer cryopreservation without having the necessary expertise locally.
Andersen
Claus Yding
CY
Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. yding@rh.dk
Rosendahl
Mikkel
M
Byskov
Anne Grete
AG
Loft
Anne
A
Ottosen
Christian
C
Dueholm
Margit
M
Schmidt
Kirsten L T
KL
Andersen
Anders Nyboe
AN
Ernst
Erik
E
D000328:Adult; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000517:prevention & control; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous