Noninvasive electrophysiological imaging identifies 4D uterine peristalsis patterns in subjects with normal menstrual cycles and patients with endometriosis.

Throughout the menstrual cycle, spontaneous mild contractions in the inner layer of the uterine smooth muscle cause uterine peristalsis, which plays a critical role in normal menstruation and fertility. Disruptions in peristalsis patterns may occur in women experiencing subfertility, abnormal uterine bleeding, ovulatory dysfunction, endometriosis, and other disorders. However, current tools to measure uterine peristalsis in humans have limitations that hamper their research or clinical utilities.

Imaging of the Vagina: Spectrum of Disease with Emphasis on MRI Appearance.

The vagina is a median fibromuscular structure of the female reproductive system that extends from the vulva inferiorly to the uterine cervix superiorly. As most vaginal lesions are detected at gynecologic examination, imaging performed for nongynecologic indications can frequently cause concomitant vaginal pathologic conditions to be overlooked. The vagina is often underevaluated at routinely performed pelvic transvaginal US because of a narrow scan area and probe positioning.

Association between arthritis treatments and ovarian reserve: a prospective study.

Research Question: How do anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations in women with and without arthritis compare? Is there an association between AMH and arthritis drug regimen?

Design: In this prospective cohort study, AMH was measured at two time points (T and T) in 129 premenopausal women with arthritis. AMH at T was compared with that from a bank of serum samples from 198 premenopausal women without arthritis. Primary outcomes were: (i) diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) (AMH <1.

Photoacoustic laser effects in live mouse blastocysts: pilot safety studies of DNA damage from photoacoustic imaging doses.

Objectives: To investigate the laser safety of photoacoustic imaging. In photoacoustic imaging, a pulsed laser of several nanoseconds is used to illuminate biological tissue, and photoacoustic waves generated by optical absorption are used to form images of the tissue. Photoacoustic imaging is emerging in clinical applications; however, its potential use in reproductive medicine has yet to be reported.

Association of the eukaryotic vaginal virome with prophylactic antibiotic exposure and reproductive outcomes in a subfertile population undergoing in vitro fertilisation: a prospective exploratory study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to use high-throughput sequencing to describe the vaginal eukaryotic DNA virome in patients undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) to examine associations between the vaginal virome, antibiotic exposure and IVF outcomes.

Design: Prospective exploratory study.

Setting: Single academic fertility centre.

Correction to: Effect of endometrial mechanical stimulation in an unselected population undergoing in vitro fertilization: futility analysis of a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained mistakes. The complete list of corrections is given below.

Effect of endometrial mechanical stimulation in an unselected population undergoing in vitro fertilization: futility analysis of a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Implantation failure is a major limiting factor of successful in vitro fertilization (IVF). The objective of this study was to determine if endometrial mechanical stimulation (EMS) by endometrial biopsy in the luteal phase of the cycle prior to embryo transfer (ET) improves clinical outcomes in an unselected subfertile population.

Methods: Double-blind, randomized controlled trial of EMS versus sham biopsy and odds of clinical pregnancy after IVF and embryo transfer.

Variability in the practice of fertility preservation for patients with cancer.

Fertility is important to women and men with cancer. While options for fertility preservation (FP) are available, knowledge regarding the medical application of FP is lacking. Therefore we examined FP practices for cancer patients among reproductive endocrinologists (REs).

Antral follicle count is increased in obese women placed on oral contraceptive pills.

Objective: To determine the effect of short-term combined oral contraceptive (OCP) use on antral follicle count (AFC) in obese and nonobese women with infertility.

Study Design: A retrospective review of women who had an AFC (sum of 2-10 mm bilateral ovarian follicles on basal follicular phase ultrasound) measured before and after short-term OCP use between the years 2005 and 2010. These were women who had a baseline AFC measurement during an unsuccessful controlled ovarian hyperstimulation/intrauterine insemination who were then placed on OCPs prior to an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle that included a subsequent AFC measurement at baseline.

Severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in patients with autoimmune disorders: a report of two cases.

Background: Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) following ovulation induction is common and varies in severity from mild to severe. Severe OHSS can be life threatening and requires hospitalization and procedures to reduce the extracellular fluid accumulation. Ovulation induction regimen and patient characteristics such as young age and low body weight have been identified as risk factors for OHSS, and follicle count >20 may be predictive of increased risk for moderate to severe OHSS.

Sperm recovery and IVF after testicular sperm extraction (TESE): effect of male diagnosis and use of off-site surgical centers on sperm recovery and IVF.

Objective: Determine whether testicular sperm extractions and pregnancy outcomes are influenced by male and female infertility diagnoses, location of surgical center and time to cryopreservation.

Patients: One hundred and thirty men undergoing testicular sperm extraction and 76 couples undergoing 123 in vitro fertilization cycles with testicular sperm.

Outcome Measures: Successful sperm recovery defined as 1-2 sperm/0.

Sperm banking for fertility preservation: a 20-year experience.

Objective: Sperm banking is an effective method to preserve fertility, but is not universally offered to males facing gonadotoxic treatment in the United States. We compared the disposition and semen parameters of cryopreserved sperm from individuals referred for sperm banking secondary to a cancer diagnosis to those of sperm from men banking for infertility reasons.

Study Design: We performed a retrospective cohort study that reviewed 1118 records from males who presented to bank sperm at Washington University between 1991 and 2010.

The auto-amputated adnexa: a review of findings in a pediatric population.

Study Objective: To quantify our experience and that of the literature with diagnosis and management of the auto-amputated adnexa in a pediatric population.

Design: Case series and literature review.

Setting: Tertiary care medical center.

The ART of social networking: how SART member clinics are connecting with patients online.

Objective: To study and describe the use of social networking websites among Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) member clinics.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: University-based practice.

Smaller fetal size in singletons after infertility therapies: the influence of technology and the underlying infertility.

Objective: To determine whether fetal size differences exist between matched fertile and infertile women and among women with infertility achieving pregnancy through various treatment modalities.

Design: Retrospective cohort study with propensity score analysis.

Setting: Tertiary care center and affiliated community hospitals.

Associations between free fatty acids, cumulus oocyte complex morphology and ovarian function during in vitro fertilization.

Objective: To determine if follicular free fatty acid (FFA) levels are associated with cumulus oocyte complex (COC) morphology.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: University in vitro fertilization (IVF) practice.

Polycystic ovary syndrome and maternal obesity affect oocyte size in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles.

To determine the impact of maternal metabolic state on oocyte development in women undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI), we retrospectively analyzed a cohort of women with PCOS undergoing IVF/ICSI from 2008-2009 in a university-based fertility center. We determined that women with PCOS and obesity have smaller oocytes than control subjects, and that when further subdivided by body mass index, both PCOS and obesity independently influence oocyte size.

Adenomyotic cyst in an adolescent girl.

Background: Cystic adenomyosis is an extremely rare form of adenomyosis, particularly in the pediatric population. We report a unique case of an adenomyotic cyst in an adolescent girl.

Case: A 16-year-old G0P0 presented with cyclic pelvic pain.

Disposition of cryopreserved embryos by infertility patients desiring to discontinue storage.

Objective: To review our patients' decisions for disposition of their cryopreserved embryos and compare the findings with those reported in the scientific literature. Patients who no longer wish to store their cryopreserved embryos have three choices: discarding, donation to research, or donation to someone else for initiation of a pregnancy.

Design: Retrospective review of patient records from January 2002 to July 2007 to determine preferences for embryo disposition.

A prospective, randomized, double-blinded study of assisted hatching in women younger than 38 years undergoing in vitro fertilization.

Objective: To determine whether assisted hatching is beneficial to IVF patients younger than 38 years whose embryos have a thickened zona pellucida (ZP).

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blinded, crossover study.

Setting: University-based infertility center.

Morbid obesity is associated with lower clinical pregnancy rates after in vitro fertilization in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective: To determine whether morbid obesity is associated with decreased pregnancy and live birth rates after IVF in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: University-based fertility center.

Encouraging patient-driven single-embryo transfer.

Single-embryo transfer (SET) removes the risk of multiples in in vitro fertilization (IVF), but women with unfavorable IVF prognosis have been dissuaded from SET despite their desire to avoid multiples. In our clinic, 54% of the women who requested SET delivered healthy singletons, even though only two of them had met the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's SET guidelines. This demonstrates the value of encouraging patient-driven SET.

Risk of multiple gestation after ovulation induction in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective: To compare the incidence of multiple gestation following treatment with clomiphene citrate (CC), metformin (MET) or gonadotropins in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients undergoing ovulation induction.

Study Design: This was a retrospective, cohort study performed in an academic reproductive endocrine practice. PCOS patients presenting for first-trimester ultrasound were identified and assigned to 1 of 3 groups: CC-resistant patients who conceived after use of metformin +/- CC (group A), CC-resistant patients who conceived after gonadotropins (group B) and PCOS patients who conceived with CC only (group C).