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.