title: Comparison of oral dydrogesterone with suppository vaginal progesterone for luteal-phase support in in vitro fertilization (IVF): A randomized clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Luteal phase support is mandatory in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) for optimizing outcome, so the luteal phase is supported with either progesterone, addition of estradiol to progesterone, hCG or gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists. Supplementation of luteal phase with progesterone is prescribed for women undergoing routine IVF treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare oral dydrogestrone with vaginal progesterone for luteal-phase support in IVF.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed this prospective, randomized trial in a tertiary infertility care unit in Taleghani Hospital, Tehran, Iran. In total 80 Women with a history of male factor infertility undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation for IVF treatment (fresh cycle) randomly were divided in two groups (group A or oral dydrogesterone group and group B or vaginal progesterone group). The inclusion criteria were the use of GnRH analogue down-regulation and age less than 40 years old with regular menstrual cycles. All women were euthyroid and normoprolactinemic. Group A (n=40) received 10 mg dydrogesterone QID (40mg daily) and group B (n=40) received 400 mg suppository vaginal progesterone (cyclogest) twice per day (800 mg daily).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical pregnancy rate in cyclogest group was higher than dydrogesterone group but the difference was not significant (p=0.52), furthermore the miscarriage rate in two group was the same .The difference between two groups regarding antral follicle, embryo number, luteal-phase duration, endometrial thickness, oocyte number and metaphase-II was not significant (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed that oral dydrogesterone is as effective as vaginal progesterone for luteal-phase support in women undergoing IVF.
authors.affiliation: Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center (IRHRC), IVF Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Saghar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salehpour
authors.affiliation: Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center (IRHRC), IVF Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamimi
authors.affiliation: Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center (IRHRC), IVF Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nasrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saharkhiz
keywords: Dydrogesterone; In vitro fertilization; Luteal-phase support; Vaginal progesterone