Polycystic ovarian syndrome: pregnancy outcome following in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

A retrospective study of a series of pregnant patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome following in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer was conducted to assess the outcome after ovarian stimulation by different protocols. Forty-one pregnancies were evaluated in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome who conceived during in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer using human menopausal gonadotropin alone (17 pregnancies), or combined with gonadotropin releasing hormone analog (24 pregnancies). The demographic data of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles and pregnancy outcome were compared with the use of Student's t-test, the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test, where appropriate. Among the pregnancies that were initiated following treatment, the protocol of the combination of the two was not associated with a higher rate of deliveries. The rate of first-trimester abortions was not statistically different between the two groups. These results suggest that the combined use of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist and human menopausal gonadotropin in an in vitro fertilization program may not have beneficial effects on pregnancy outcome in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.