Treatments for inducing superovulation and the endocrine aspects of cycle diagnostics in connection with the in vitro fertilization program.

On the basis of literary data and of own experience the author deals with protocols concerning hyperstimulation in the in vitro fertilization and embryonic transfer cases as well as with the endocrine monitoring of superovulatory cycles. The IVF and ET programs widen our knowledge most spectacularly in the fields of follicle maturation, cycle endocrinology, and early processes of reproduction. When discussing the theoretical and practical aspects of various superovulatory treatments, the principal differences between the natural and hyperstimulatory sexual cycles are emphasized. Because of these differences and of the nature of the IVF-ET procedure, the importance of the traditional cycle diagnostics is necessarily limited. More important diagnostic possibilities are the daily quick hormone measurements by RIA methods, the hemagglutination tests, ELISA, and ultrasound examinations.