The decision to cancel a preimplantation genetic diagnosis cycle

It has been suggested that a minimum number (six) of cumulus-oocyte complex es (COCs) should be retrieved for fertilization to offer enough chances to ensure a pregnancy after a preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) procedur e. Therefore a decision to cancel a PGD cycle should be adequately weighted to offer the patients the highest chances to obtain a pregnancy. We describe a case where, after retrieving only three COCs suitable for fer tilization, a triplet pregnancy was obtained. This case suggests that, alth ough low numbers of COCs can reduce the effectiveness of the PGD procedure, other factors an involved in its final result. Thus, the opportunity of ro utinely cancelling such cycles should be reconsidered. In addition, this is, to our knowledge, the first case where sex selection was carried out to prevent the birth of carriers of the abnormal gene, and not of affected offspring. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.