Is the use of donor sperm associated with a higher incidence of preeclampsia in women who achieve pregnancy after intrauterine insemination?

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of preeclampsia after intrauterine insemination (IUI) with either donor's or partner's sperm in women with primary infertility.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

In GnRH antagonist/rec-FSH stimulated cycles, advanced endometrial maturation on the day of oocyte retrieval correlates with altered gene expression.

Background: Previously, advanced endometrial maturation on the day of oocyte retrieval in GnRH antagonist and -agonist IVF cycles was observed. In these cycles, endometrial advancement exceeding 3 days between the histological dating and the cycle day never resulted in an ongoing clinical pregnancy. In this study, the gene expression of human endometrium on the day of oocyte retrieval in GnRH antagonist/rec-FSH cycles was analyzed, in correlation with the morphological dating.

In vitro fertilization pregnancy in a patient with proven chronic endometritis.

Objective: To report an in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancy in a patient with histologically confirmed chronic endometritis before the IVF treatment without prior antibiotherapy.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Academic reproductive medicine unit.

Luteal phase oestradiol suppression by letrozole: a pilot study in oocyte donors.

This prospective randomized controlled pilot study was conducted in a tertiary referral university hospital to evaluate whether the administration of letrozole in the luteal phase of stimulated IVF cycles, through a decrease in oestradiol, could alter the suppressed LH levels in the luteal phase. Following oocyte retrieval, six oocyte donors aged < or = 36 years were randomized to receive either 5 mg letrozole (n = 3) or placebo (n = 3). On days 4, 7 and 10 after human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration, oestradiol levels of the letrozole group were significantly lower compared with the placebo group (P = 0.

Live birth rates after transfer of equal number of blastocysts or cleavage-stage embryos in IVF. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Both cleavage-stage and blastocyst-stage embryo transfer policies have advantages and drawbacks. The number of embryos transferred, however, is a crucial parameter that needs to be considered before attempting any comparison.

Methods: An extensive literature search yielded initially 282 studies from which 8 randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria: (i) truly randomized design (ii) policy to transfer equal number of embryos in both the cleavage-stage and the blastocyst-stage groups and (iii) published as full text in a peer-review journal.

An update of luteal phase support in stimulated IVF cycles.

Stimulated IVF cycles are associated with luteal phase defect. In order to overcome this, different doses, durations and types of luteal phase support (LPS) have been evaluated. There is still no agreement regarding the optimal supplementation scheme.

[Chondrosarcoma of the nasal septum].

Introduction: A chondrosarcoma is rarely located in the nasal septum with only fifty cases reported in the literature.

Case Report: We report a new case of a seventy years old woman presenting with a large facial midline mass extending to the nasal cavity, having evolved for six months. Subsequent computed tomography revealed a mass destroying the nasal septum and extending to the endocrane.

[Femoral metaphyso-diaphyseal chondroblastoma: a case report].

Chondroblastoma is a rare benign tumor of cartilage tissue accounting for less than 1% of all bone tumors. The epiphysis of long bones is the typical localization, often extending to the metaphysis. Metaphyseal, metaphysodiaphyseal or pure diaphyseal forms are exceptional.

Solitary fibrous tumor of the kidney: a case report and review of the literature.

A solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is an unusual spindle cell neoplasm that usually occurs in the pleura but has recently been described in diverse extrapleural sites. Urogenital localization is rare, and only 19 cases of SFT of the kidney have been described. We report a case of a large SFT clinically thought to be renal cell carcinoma arising in the kidney of a 70-year-old man.

Effect of oral administration of dydrogestrone versus vaginal administration of natural micronized progesterone on the secretory transformation of endometrium and luteal endocrine profile in patients with premature ovarian failure: a proof of concept.

Background: We aimed to explore the endometrial histology and endocrine profiles on day 21 of an artificial cycle in patients with premature ovarian failure (POF) treated with oral dydrogesterone (DG) or vaginal micronized progesterone.

Methods: The study was designed as a prospective pilot study at an academic reproductive medicine unit. Six POF patients were included in the study.

Single embryo transfer in preimplantation genetic diagnosis cycles for women <36 years does not reduce delivery rate.

Background: The Belgian legislation imposes single embryo transfer (SET) on women of <36 years in their first treatment cycle to avoid multiple pregnancies. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of this legislation on the outcome of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for inherited diseases in young women undergoing SET.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of PGD cycles for monogenic disorders and translocations in women <36 years on their first treatment cycle.

Human chorionic gonadotropin administration vs. luteinizing monitoring for intrauterine insemination timing, after administration of clomiphene citrate: a meta-analysis.

Objective: To systematically compare hCG administration as a method for intrauterine insemination (IUI) timing with conservative urinary LH surge detection in infertility treatment.

Design: Meta-analysis of prospective and retrospective trials.

Setting: Tertiary fertility and IVF center.

The luteal phase of recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone/gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist in vitro fertilization cycles during supplementation with progesterone or progesterone and estradiol.

Objective: To explore luteal phase hormone profiles in patients stimulated with recombinant FSH and GnRH antagonist for IVF under two different modes of luteal support: P and P with E(2).

Design: Prospective randomized study.

Setting: Patients in an academic reproductive medicine unit.

Addition of estradiol to progesterone for luteal supplementation in patients stimulated with GnRH antagonist/rFSH for IVF: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The role of progesterone for luteal support in stimulated cycles for IVF is well established. However, controversy still surrounds the benefit of additional supplementation with estradiol (E2) in GnRH agonist (GnRHa) cycles, while no such data are available for GnRH antagonists. The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to compare ongoing pregnancy rates in patients stimulated with recombinant FSH (rFSH) and GnRH antagonist for IVF, who received micronized progesterone for luteal phase supplementation, with or without the addition of E2.

Early pregnancy loss is significantly higher after day 3 single embryo transfer than after day 5 single blastocyst transfer in GnRH antagonist stimulated IVF cycles.

The current study aimed to investigate whether single day-3 embryo transfer (SET) results in higher early pregnancy loss (EPL) than single blastocyst transfer (SBET). A total of 896 patients underwent 1103 IVF cycles with a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol. In 603 cycles (D3 group) a single embryo on day 3 of the embryo culture was transferred, whereas in the remaining 500 cycles a single blastocyst was transferred on day 5 (D5 group).

Incidence and prediction of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in women undergoing gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist in vitro fertilization cycles.

Objective: To determine the incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in a large series of GnRH antagonist-stimulated cycles and to assess the predictive value of E2 and the number of follicles on the day of hCG administration.

Design: Prospective cohort study of women undergoing IVF treatment with a GnRH antagonist protocol over a 2-year period.

Setting: Tertiary university hospital.

Successful treatment of an aggressive recurrent post-menopausal endometriosis with an aromatase inhibitor.

The current case report describes the development and medical treatment of an aggressive pelvic endometrioma in a post-menopausal patient, who had undergone abdominal hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy a decade earlier. The patient was referred to the authors' centre because of right-sided sciatic pain. Three months before her admission she was hospitalized elsewhere due to subacute bowel obstruction.

GnRH antagonist in the adjuvant treatment of a recurrent ovarian granulosa cell tumor: a case report.

Background: Ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCT) are usually treated by surgery and chemotherapy. Successful response to GnRH agonists as an adjuvant therapy has previously been reported. In this case of recurrent GCT, we used a GnRH antagonist.

Estrogen and folliculogenesis: is one necessary for the other?

Purpose Of Review: During folliculogenesis the primordial follicle undergoes several steps of maturation in order to develop into a preovulatory follicle. The exact role of estrogen during this process has not yet been fully assessed.

Recent Findings: Estrogen appears to regulate cyclic gonadotropin release via its action on estrogen receptor alpha in the hypothalamus/hypophysis axis and to enhance folliculogenesis through its actions via estrogen receptor beta in the ovary.

Endometrial thickness cannot predict ongoing pregnancy achievement in cycles stimulated with clomiphene citrate for intrauterine insemination.

To date, limited data exist concerning the relation between endometrial thickness on the day of human chorionic gonadotrohin (HCG) administration and ongoing pregnancy achievement in cycles stimulated with clomiphene citrate for intrauterine insemination (IUI). In a prospective study, 168 couples were stimulated with clomiphene citrate from day 3 to day 7 of the cycle and endometrial thickness was assessed by ultrasound three times on the day of ovulation triggering. Ovulation was induced with HCG as soon as >/=1 follicle of >/=17 mm was present at ultrasound independently of endometrial thickness.

Clomiphene citrate versus letrozole for ovarian stimulation: a pilot study.

The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the endocrinological environment of cycles stimulated with clomiphene citrate (CC) or letrozole. Fifteen patients undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI) received from day 3 to day 7 of the cycle either letrozole 2.5 mg/day (n = 7) or clomiphene citrate 100 mg/day (n = 8).

Rescue IVF and coasting with the use of a GnRH antagonist after ovulation induction.

The major risks of exogenous gonadotrophin therapy for ovulation induction in a patient with polycystic ovaries (PCO) are multiple pregnancies and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). This case report describes a 23-year-old patient, who was referred to the Centre for Reproductive Medicine in Brussels because of a high risk of developing OHSS and rising LH following ovulation induction with a low-dose step-up protocol using gonadotrophins. After counselling the patient, the decision was made to perform a rescue IVF cycle.