title: Two successful pregnancies following autotransplantation of frozen/thawed ovarian tissue.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. yding@rh.dk
authors.forename: Claus Yding
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Mikkel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosendahl
authors.forename: Anne Grete
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Byskov
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loft
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ottosen
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dueholm
authors.forename: Kirsten L T
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Anders Nyboe
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ernst
mesh_terms: 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