Classification of Atretic Small Antral Follicles in the Human Ovary.

The reproductive lifespan in humans is regulated by a delicate cyclical balance between follicular recruitment and atresia in the ovary. The majority of the small antral follicles present in the ovary are progressively lost through atresia without reaching dominance, but this process remains largely underexplored. In our study, we investigated the characteristics of atretic small antral follicles and proposed a classification system based on molecular changes observed in granulosa cells, theca cells, and extracellular matrix deposition.

Atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia in pregnancy: 'I have ice for you'.

Background: Pregnancy is a known trigger of novel and pre-existing supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. We present a case of a stable pregnant patient presenting with atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) and application of the 'facial ice immersion technique'.

Case Summary: A 37-year-old pregnant woman presented with recurrent AVNRT.

Expectant management versus IUI in unexplained subfertility and a poor pregnancy prognosis (EXIUI study): a randomized controlled trial.

Study Question: For couples with unexplained subfertility and a poor prognosis for natural conception, is 6 months expectant management (EM) inferior to IUI with ovarian stimulation (IUI-OS), in terms of live births?

Summary Answer: In couples with unexplained subfertility and a poor prognosis for natural conception, 6 months of EM is inferior compared to IUI-OS in terms of live births.

What Is Known Already: Couples with unexplained subfertility and a poor prognosis are often treated with IUI-OS. In couples with unexplained subfertility and a relatively good prognosis for natural conception (>30% in 12 months), IUI-OS does not increase the live birth rate as compared to 6 months of EM.

Dynamic culture of cryopreserved-thawed human ovarian cortical tissue using a microfluidics platform does not improve early folliculogenesis.

Current strategies for fertility preservation include the cryopreservation of embryos, mature oocytes or ovarian cortical tissue for autologous transplantation. However, not all patients that could benefit from fertility preservation can use the currently available technology. In this regard, obtaining functional mature oocytes from ovarian cortical tissue would represent a major breakthrough in fertility preservation as well as in human medically assisted reproduction.

Fertility preservation for women with breast cancer: a multicentre randomized controlled trial on various ovarian stimulation protocols.

Study Question: Does ovarian stimulation with the addition of tamoxifen or letrozole affect the number of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) retrieved compared to standard ovarian stimulation in women with breast cancer who undergo fertility preservation?

Summary Answer: Alternative ovarian stimulation protocols with tamoxifen or letrozole did not affect the number of COCs retrieved at follicle aspiration in women with breast cancer.

What Is Known Already: Alternative ovarian stimulation protocols have been introduced for women with breast cancer who opt for fertility preservation by means of banking of oocytes or embryos. How these ovarian stimulation protocols compare to standard ovarian stimulation in terms of COC yield is unknown.