title: Intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) after repeated IVF or ICSI failures: a prospective comparative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sperm morphology plays a significant role in assisted reproductive technologies and is associated with high implantation rates. The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcome of intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) after repeated failures of conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective study in which couples acted as their own controls, 75 infertile couples were offered IMSI after at least two previous IVF or ICSI failures. The main outcome measures were embryo quality and number of blastocysts obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of top quality embryos obtained at day 2 was increased in IMSI compared to IVF/ICSI cycles (89.8% versus 79.8%; p=0.009). Extended embryo culture was possible in 41.3% of IMSI cycles versus 26.7% of IVF/ICSI cycles (p=0.04), and the mean number of blastocysts obtained was higher in IMSI cycles (1.5±1.9) than in IVF/ICSI cycles (1.0±1.2) (p=0.03). Moreover, IMSI resulted in clinical pregnancy and birth rates of respectively 29.3% and 18.6%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After two or three IVF/ICSI failures, IMSI seems to give better embryo quality and more blastocysts, which allow more embryo transfers at the blastocyst stage. This study supports the use of sperm ultramorphology examination as an independent test to be proposed after repeated IVF or ICSI failures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, Bichat-Claude Bernard University Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Delaroche
authors.forename: Chadi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yazbeck
authors.forename: Clémence
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gout
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oger
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rougier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure