BIRTH FROM CRYOPRESERVED EMBRYOS FOLLOWING IN-VITRO MATURATION OF OOCYTES AND INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION

This case report describes the birth of a baby following the transfer of cryopreserved embryos generated from intracytoplasmic sperm injecti on (ICSI) carried out on the second day after oocyte pick-up of in-vit ro-matured metaphase I and germinal vesicle stage oocytes, The couple had a history of three failed intrauterine insemination attempts and r educed fertilization rates in two previous in-vitro fertilization (IVF ) cycles, In the IVF-ICSI treatment cycle, 6/11 mature oocytes became fertilized following ICSI on the first day, However, the patient faile d to conceive following the transfer of three embryos, Five oocytes we re immature (two at metaphase I stage and three with a germinal vesicl e) and these were cultured overnight, All had extruded a polar body by the following day and ICSI was therefore performed; four oocytes beca me fertilized, and were cryopreserved at the pronulear stage in propan ediol, In the next treatment cycle, transfer of frozen embryos was pla nned, The pronuclear zygotes were thawed and cultured for 24 h prior t o the transfer of two embryos in a cycle stimulated with low doses of follicle stimulating hormone, This resulted in a pregnancy and the del ivery of a healthy baby boy, In-vitro maturation of metaphase I and ge rminal vesicle oocytes which are routinely collected in IVF-ICSI cycle s, followed by second day ICSI fertilization, may provide a valuable s ource of embryos for infertile couples.