OUTCOME OF PATIENTS WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS IN ASSISTED REPRODUCTION - RESULTS FROM IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION AND OOCYTE DONATION

A retrospective analysis of our in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and oocyt e donation programmes was carried out in order to gain clinical knowle dge of the factors involved in the aetiology of the endometriosis-asso ciated infertility. Comparison between the IVF outcomes from 96 cycles in 78 patients with tubal infertility and from 96 cycles in 59 women with endometriosis indicates that endometriosis patients have a poor I VF outcome in terms of reduced pregnancy rate per cycle (P < 0.0004), reduced pregnancy rate per transfer (P < 0.002), and reduced implantat ion rate (P < 0.003). The analysis of patients undergoing oocyte donat ion for different reasons, including low response with or without endo metriosis, showed that patients with this disease have the same chance s of implantation and pregnancy as other recipients when the oocytes c ame from donors without known endometriosis. However, when the results of oocyte donation were classified according to the origin of the ooc ytes donated, patients who received embryos derived from endometriotic ovaries showed a significantly (P < 0.05) reduced implantation rate a s compared to the remaining groups. Taken together, all these observat ions suggest that infertility in endometriosis patients may be related to alterations within the oocyte, which in turn result in embryos wit h decreased ability to implant.