CORRELATION OF FECUNDABILITY AND SERUM ESTRADIOL AFTER DANAZOL TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED ENDOMETRIOSIS

Objective: To examine the relationship between pregnancy incidence and the level of serum E(2) during danazol therapy. Design: Danazol was g iven by 200 mg four times daily for 3 months. Serum E(2) level was che cked after completing the therapy, but before stopping medication. Pat ients then were advised to conceive at the appropriate time over a 6-m onth period. Setting: Reproductive and Endocrine Laboratory of the Dep artment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hosp ital, Keelung, Taiwan. Patients: Infertile women with invasive endomet riosis receiving conservative surgery and danazol treatment. Intervent ions: Serum E(2) is checked before medication and at the end of danazo l therapy, but before stopping medication. Main Outcome Measures: Whet her pregnancy is related to the change of serum E(2) caused by danazol therapy. Results: There were 24 pregnancies in 38 patients with invas ive endometriosis after treatment. Pregnant patients had significantly lower serum E(2) levels as compared with the nonpregnant patients. Co nclusions: After conservative surgery for invasive endometriosis assoc iated with infertility, the therapeutic period of danazol treatment co uld be shortened to 3 months. Because there is significant correlation of fecundability and serum E(2) after danazol medication, serum E(2) could be a guideline for predicting pregnancy or for prolonging or cha nging of treatment therapy.