EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY, ss.137-140, 2014 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective: To evaluate the effects of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol, with or without oral contraceptive pill (OCP) pretreatment, in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Study design: In this retrospective cohort study, 410 infertile patients with PCOS were assessed in their first ICSI cycles between January 2006 and June 2013. In Group A (n = 208), patients underwent a long luteal GnRH agonist protocol, and in Groups B (n = 143) and C (n = 59), patients underwent a GnRH antagonist protocol. The patients in Group C also received OCPs containing 30 mg of ethinyl oestradiol and 3 mg of drospirenone prior to treatment. The main outcome measures were pregnancy and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) rates. Results: Demographic features, body mass index, duration of infertility, serum baseline hormone levels, cycle outcomes, multiple pregnancy rates, miscarriage rates, OHSS rates, total number of Grade A embryos and total number of transferred embryos were comparable between the groups. Clinical pregnancy rates were 27.4%, 26.6% and 23.7% in Groups A, B and C, respectively (p = 0.853). Conclusions: OCP pretreatment was found to have no beneficial or adverse effects in patients with PCOS undergoing a GnRH antagonist protocol for ICSI, but can be used for cycle scheduling. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.