Endometrial polyps and their relationship in the pregnancy rates of patients undergoing intrauterine insemination.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of the presence of endometrial polyps (EP) on pregnancy rates and how polypectomy could affect pregnancy rates in women scheduled for intrauterine insemination (IUI).

METHODS

The study included patients who had attended the Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Athens from April 2003 to October 2008 for infertility treatment and were candidates for IUI. In these women the presence of an endometrial polyp had been already diagnosed during the infertility evaluation. The study group consisted of 86 women who, following the diagnosis of endometrial polyp, had agreed to have the polyps removed hysteroscopically prior to the IUI. The control group consisted of 85 women, who despite the fact that the presence of an endometrial polyp had been previously diagnosed and its removal suggested, elected not to have the polyp removed. We used statistical analysis to check what effect the removal of the polyp had on the total number of pregnancies.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant difference in cumulative pregnancy rates between the two groups. The group that underwent polyp removal had higher pregnancy rates as compared to the one that the polyps were left intact.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose that hysteroscopic polypectomy of any size appears to improve fertility in women with otherwise unexplained infertility.