PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF THE STRICT CRITERIA - AN ARGENTINEAN EXPERIENCE

The prognostic value of normal sperm morphology, evaluated according t o the strict criteria, was prospectively assessed. The study included 112 IVF cycles. The percentage normal sperm morphology of the semen sa mples used in each cycle was determined and assigned to one of three p rognostic groups; P-pattern (< 4% normal forms), G-pattern (5-8% norma l forms), and N-pattern (> 8% normal forms). The fertilization, grade 4 embryo attainment, and pregnancy rates were compared between the thr ee groups. The fertilization rate of the N-pattern group (83.7%) was s ignificantly higher than that of the G-pattern (59.65%) and the P-patt ern (22.58%) groups. The grade 4 embryo attainment rate was only signi ficantly different between the N-pattern (23.38%) and the P-pattern (4 .76%) groups, No pregnancy was obtained in the P-pattern group compare d to a pregnancy rate per transfer of 23.08% in the N-pattern group. T his study reaffirms the interlaboratory reproducibility and the progno stic value of normal sperm morphology.