The effect of length of the follicular phase on pregnancy outcome following single embryo transfer (ET) in hypergonadotropic women.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether a short follicular phase adversely affects pregnancy rates following in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer in women with diminished egg reserve similarly to women with short follicular phases and normal egg reserve.


METHODS
A retrospective review of women with day 3 serum FSH > 12 mIU/ml having only a single embryo transfer. Pregnancy rates were determined according to length of follicular phase, i.e., until day of egg retrieval.


RESULTS
The ongoing/delivery pregnancy rates for women having oocyte retrievals on day 10 or earlier was 20.0% (20/63) compared to 16.1% (34/210) for those having retrievals on day 11 or later (p = NS).


CONCLUSIONS
Either length of the follicular phase is not an important factor for achieving a pregnancy in women with diminished egg reserve or the use of ethinyl estradiol in the follicular phase negates the adverse effect of the short follicular phase even if it fails to lengthen this phase to at least ten days.
Check
J H
JH
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Camden, Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Camden NJ, USA. laurie@ccivf.com
Katsoff
B
B
Brasile
D
D
Wilson
C
C
Choe
J K
JK
Amui
J
J
D000328:Adult; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D004967:Estrogens; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone