B. Cacciatore et al., TRANSVAGINAL DOPPLER STUDY OF UTERINE ARTERY BLOOD-FLOW IN IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION-EMBRYO TRANSFER CYCLES, Fertility and sterility, 66(1), 1996, pp. 130-134
Objective: To verify whether uterine artery impedance, measured as pul
satility index and resistance index is related to the outcome of in IV
F-ET cycles. Design: Prospective study of infertile women participatin
g in an IVF-ET program. Setting: University Hospital. Patients: Two hu
ndred women (24 to 40 years of age), who had one to three good quality
embryos transferred to the uterus after a standardized IVF cycle. Int
ervention: Transvaginal color Doppler and a blood sample on the day of
ET. Main Outcome Measures: Uterine artery pulsatility index and resis
tance index, endometrial thickness, serum E(2) and P concentrations, c
linical pregnancy rate (PR). Results: Pulsatility indices and resistan
ce indices were lower in conception (2.45 +/- 0.54 and 0.85 +/- 0.04,
respectively) than in nonconception cycles (2.66 +/- 0.39 and 0.87 +/-
0.04, respectively), although the overlap of the values is considerab
le. Overall PR was 35% per ET, and it decreased significantly when pul
satility index was >3.0 (15%) and resistance index > 0.92 (13%), being
lowest when pulsatility index was >3.3 and resistance index > 0.95 (1
0%). Such a high impedance was detected in 9% of nonconception cycles.
Conclusion: In IVF-ET cycles the uterus is likely to be unreceptive w
hen uterine artery pulsatility index is >3.3 and resistance index > 0.
95 before ET, but this occurs only in 9% of the cycles.