Human chorionic gonadotrophin luteal support overcomes luteal phase inadequacy after gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist-induced ovulation in gonadotrophin-stimulated cycles

Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa)-induced ovulation after gon adotrophin ovarian stimulation is used to prevent ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and multiple pregnancy in polyfollicular cycles. However, one of t he major problems to be resolved is corpus luteum function after follicular maturation and ovulation by midcycle GnRHa administration. The present rep ort investigated the luteal phase in non-conceptual polyfollicular cycles i n 26 patients (group 1) receiving a single dose of 0.5 mg leuprolide acetat e to induce ovulation and in a control group of patients (n = 26) (group 2) who were given human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) (10 000 IU i.m.) for ov ulation induction. All of them were normal ovulatory women undergoing gonad otrophin ovarian stimulation because of unexplained infertility or male fac tor. In both groups of patients two doses of 2500 IU HCG i.m, were given 6 and 10 days after the ovulatory dose of HCG or GnRHa to support the luteal phase. All cycles were ovulatory as shown by mid-luteal serum progesterone concentrations >10 ng/ml, Mean serum progesterone concentrations were 62% h igher in group 2 than in group 1, but this difference was not statistically significant. The mean length of the luteal phase was similar in groups 1 a nd 2. It is concluded that HCG luteal support is a useful tool to overcome the luteal phase inadequacy that characterizes GnRHa-triggered cycles after gonadotrophin stimulation.