PURPOSE: to evaluate the results of ovulation hyperinduction followed by in vitro fertilization (IVF) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (POS), as compared to normal cycle women. METHODS: a controlled retrospective study conducted on 36 women with POS (POS group) and on 44 women with infertility due to mild male factor (control group), submitted to IVF from 1997 to 2003. Subject ages ranged from 18 to 36 years. Ovulation hyperinduction was obtained with recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone and a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist. The analyzed variables were the follicles with a mean diameter of 14 to 17 mm and the follicles with diameters of 18 mm or above on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin administration, percentage of follicles >18 mm, the number of retrieved oocytes, fertilization rate, cleavage rate, incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHS), clinical pregnancy rate, and abortion rate. The variables were analyzed by the unpaired t test, Fisher exact test and Mann-Whitney test, with level of significance set at p<0.05. RESULTS: the POS group presented a larger number of retrieved follicles, most of them measuring 14 to 17 mm in diameter, compared to the control group (64.8 vs 53.9%), a lower fertilization rate (59.43 vs 79.57%) and a higher incidence of OHS (38.9 vs 9.1%). The number of retrieved oocytes, cleavage rates, pregnancy rates per embryo transfer, abortion rates and live born rates did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: the success of IVF is impaired in women with POS due to their larger number of retrieved follicles of reduced diameter, reduced fertilization rate and high OHS rates.
Polycystic ovary syndrome; In vitro fertilization; Ovulation induction; Fertilization rate; Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome
