Clomiphene.

BACKGROUND: The study compares treatment outcome and costs of ovulation induction cycles and in vitro fertilization cycles in infertile women with clomiphene resistant polycystic ovary syndrome. METHODS: Twenty-eight infertile women with clomiphene resistant polycystic ovary syndrome referred to a university clinic were prospectively randomized to ovulation induction or in vitro fertilization. Forty-one ovulation induction cycles and thirty in vitro fertilization cycles were performed. Mann-Whitney U-test was used for between group comparisons and frequencies were compared with Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: More pregnancies per completed cycle were noted in the in vitro fertilization group than in the ovulation induction group. Drug costs were not much higher in the in vitro fertilization group but treatment costs were higher due to the additional costs of ovum pick up and embryo transfer. The cost per pregnancy was about twice as high in the ovulation induction group as in the in vitro fertilization group. The cost per term pregnancy including delivery was 1.6 times higher in the ovulation induction group. CONCLUSION: For a group of obese women with clomiphene resistant polycystic ovary syndrome, in vitro fertilization seems a cost-effective treatment.

Clomiphene↗

PubMed1999

Will GnRH antagonists provide new hope for patients considered 'difficult responders' to GnRH agonist protocols?

We have assessed the use of cetrorelix, a gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist, in conjunction with clomiphene citrate and gonadotrophin in 31 in-vitro fertilization (IVF)/gamete intra-Fallopian transfer (GIFT) cycles for 25 difficult responders. Group I included 18 poor responders (24 cycles) with no live birth in 23 previous IVF cycles with GnRH agonists. Group II included seven patients (seven cycles) with polycystic ovaries. Thirteen previous IVF/GIFT cycles with GnRH agonists had resulted in one live birth and three of these patients had developed ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). The treatment protocol involved a daily dose of clomiphene citrate 100 mg for 5 days and gonadotrophin injections from cycle day 2. Cetrorelix 0.25 mg/day was started when the leading follicle reached 14 mm. The outcome in both groups was favourable compared to previous treatment with GnRH agonists. In group I the abandoned cycle rate was 29 versus 57% (P = 0.06). More oocytes were produced (6.4 versus 4.7 oocytes/cycle) at a lower dose of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (709 versus 1163 IU/oocyte; P = 0.08) and two live births resulted (11.8%). In group II fewer oocytes were produced (10.2 versus 14.5 oocytes/cycle), using a lower dose of gonadotrophin (170 versus 189 IU/oocyte) and resulted in one ongoing pregnancy. No patients experienced OHSS. This report is preliminary and a further controlled randomized study is required.

Clomiphene↗