Comparison of IVF/ICSI outcome in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome or tubal factor infertility

Abstract

Background: One of the recognized treatment options for patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Fears are however sometimes raised concerning the likely outcome of treatment in such patients compared with their counterparts with tubal factor infertility.

Objective: To compare the IVF/ICSI performance in women with PCOS and those with tubal factor infertility.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis. Case notes of 30 patients, 35 years and below, with PCOS and who underwent 33 IVF/ICSI cycles and those of 42 age-controlled patients with tubal factor infertility and who had 43 cycles between December 2004 and April 2008 were retrieved. Data including duration of down-regulation, dose of human Menopausal Gonadotropin (hMG), number of cancelled treatments, endometrial thickness, number of oocytes retrieved and fertilization rate, in addition to the number of embryos transferred with resultant pregnancy outcome were compared between the two groups. The main outcome measures were response to gonadotropin stimulation, fertilization rate and clinical pregnancy rate.
Results: There was no significant difference between the PCOS group and the tubal factor infertility group in the hMG dose (2.7 vs. 3.4 vials, respectively), endometrial thickness (10.5 vs. 10.1 mm, respectively) and embryos transferred (3.1 vs. 2.9, respectively). The fertilization rate was significantly higher in the tubal factor infertility group, which was 81.48% as against 63.24% for the PCOS group (P < 0.0001). While more cases of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) occurred in the PCOS group (P = 0.049), overall clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer was similar (45.45% vs. 42.85%; P = 1), with similar miscarriage rates.
Conclusion: IVF/ICSI performance in patients with PCOS is probably similar to their counterparts with tubal factor infertility with, however, a reduced fertilization rate and higher incidence of OHSS.

Key words: IVF, polycystic ovarian syndrome, pregnancy, tubal