Thin endometrial stripe does not affect likelihood of achieving pregnancy in clomiphene citrate/intrauterine insemination cycles.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether there is a correlation between preovulatory endometrial stripe thickness (EST) and pregnancy rates in clomiphene citrate (CC)/IUI cycles.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort.


METHODS
Infertility clinic of an academic medical center.


METHODS
A total of 262 patients completed 562 transvaginal ultrasound-monitored CC/IUI cycles from January 2005 through December 2012.


METHODS
All patients received oral CC. In 362 of the cycles, a single dose of gonadotropin was administered on cycle day 9 (MinStim). A transvaginal ultrasound was performed on cycle day 10, 11, or 12.


METHODS
Pregnancy rate per initiated cycle.


RESULTS
A total of 91 pregnancies ensued, yielding a pregnancy rate of 16.2% per initiated cycle. Pregnancy rates did not vary with EST <6 mm, 6-9 mm, and >9 mm (14.8%, 16.3%, and 19.0%, respectively). There was no significant difference in mean EST between stimulation types (6.8 mm for CC vs. 6.7 mm for MinStim). When conception and nonconception cycles were compared, no difference in mean EST (6.9 mm vs. 6.8 mm, respectively) was observed. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the probability of pregnancy based on EST was 0.51.


CONCLUSIONS
Preovulatory EST had no significant correlation with pregnancy rates in CC/IUI cycles. The decision to switch from CC to another treatment strategy should be influenced by factors other than thin endometrial stripe.
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Electronic address: asante.albert@mayo.edu.
Albert
A
Asante
Charles C
CC
Coddington
Louis
L
Schenck
Elizabeth A
EA
Stewart
D000328:Adult; D002996:Clomiphene / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005300:Fertility Agents, Female / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008910:Minnesota; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
D005300:Fertility Agents, Female; D002996:Clomiphene
Endometrial stripe thickness; intrauterine insemination; transvaginal ultrasound