title: [First polar body morphology and fertilization rate, cleavage rate, and embryo quality].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to determine the relationship between the morphology of the first spindle pole of human oocytes and rates of fertilization, fragmentation and embryo quality in procedures of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI).
  
  
  METHODS
  retrospective study of 582 consecutive ICSI cycles, from July 2003 to July 2005. The morphology of the first spindle pole (SP) was assessed through the analysis of 3,177 oocytes in metaphase II, immediately before the ICSI procedure, always by the same observer. SP has been classified in the following categories: normal size intact, fragmented or augmented SP. Fertilization rate and fragmentation, and the number and rate of good quality embryos in each one of the three groups studied have been evaluated, 48 hours after ICSI (D2). Embryos with four cells, without fragmentation and with symmetric blastomeres in D2 were considered as of good quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  rates of fertilization, fragmentation and of good quality embryo formation, resulting from oocyte insemination, with augmented SP (20.7, 16.7 and 5% respectively) were significantly lower than the ones from intact and normal size SP (70.8, 62.5 and 19%, respectively) or from fragmented SP oocytes (69.7, 60.5 and 17.1%, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  it has been observed that the presence of augmented first spindle pole is related to worse rates of fertilization, fragmentation and bad quality embryo formation. Nevertheless, fragmentation in the first spindle pole of the oocyte does not seem to affect ICSI results.
authors.affiliation: Setor de Reprodução Humana, Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil. picinato@fmrp.usp.br
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Picinato
authors.forename: Medeiros de
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Carlos Henrique Medeiros de
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Marcelo Gondim
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Wellington de Paula
authors.initials: Wde P
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Rosana Maria dos
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Rui Alberto
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ferriani
authors.forename: Paula Andrea de
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.forename: Salles
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Navarro
mesh_terms: D002970:Cleavage Stage, Ovum; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000592:standards*; D013997:Time Factors; D015053:Zygote / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure