ULTRASONIC CONTROL WITHOUT HORMONE DETERMINATION FOR OVULATION INDUCTION IN IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION-EMBRYO TRANSFER WITH GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING-HORMONE ANALOG AND HUMAN MENOPAUSAL GONADOTROPIN

A total of 114 patients admitted to an in-vitro fertilization-embryo t ransfer programme for the first time, were randomly assigned to the st udy group or controls. Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa ) and human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) were used for ovulation ind uction. The study patients were followed up merely by ultrasonography and the controls by ultrasonography and serum determinations of oestra diol progesterone and luteinizing hormone (LH). There was no significa nt difference in the duration and total amount of HMG used for ovulati on induction (10.9 versus 11.5 days and 34.8 versus 37.9 ampoules, res pectively). The number of oocytes retrieved (11.7 versus 13.4) and the numbers of embryos replaced (2.6 versus 2.8) and cryopreserved (1.9 v ersus 3.3) were also similar. Pregnancy rates were similar. Pregnancy rate per ovum retrieval was 22.2 versus 25% and per embryo transfer 27 .2 versus 26.5%. Oestradiol patterns were also similar. The rate and s everity of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome were virtually identical. We conclude that 'ultrasound-only' monitoring of ovulation induction in IVF cycles treated by GnRHa-HMG in the long protocol is as effectiv e and safe as the conventional ultrasound and hormone determination, b ut far simpler, swifter and more cost-effective.