Objective: To compare natural vs. hormone replacement treatment (HRT) for cryo-thaw embryo transfer cycles in patients with frozen embryos from previous ART. Design and Settings: Retrospective chart review of 164 patients (242 cycles) who underwent natural or HRT cryo-thaw embryo transfer between January 2002 and April 2005. Main Outcome Measures: Pregnancy rates per transfer in natural and HRT cryo-thaw cycles. Results: The pregnancy rate per transfer was higher with natural cycles (36.76% vs. 22.99%, P = 0.0298). There was no statistical difference in mean age, endometrial thickness, and average embryo quality in successful cycles. Mean endometrial thickness prior to transfer was greater in natural cycles (9.95 vs. 8.89 mm, P < 0.001). Mean serum estradiol levels were higher in the HRT group prior to transfer (526.1 vs. 103.8 pg/ml, P < 0.001), and were found to be lower in women who achieved pregnancy (337.1 vs. 433.3 pg/ml, P = 0.0136). Conclusion: Hormone replacement in preparation for cryo-thaw transfer of embryos was found to be associated with decreased pregnancy rates in comparison to natural cycle cryo-thaw transfer. Greater endometrial thickness was achieved with lower serum estradiol levels in patients undergoing natural cycles, suggesting Financial disclosure: none of the above authors had any financial interests with commercial companies.

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Because the pubertal growth spurt in boys appears to be mediated by both androgens and estrogens, we hypothesized that blockade of both androgen action and estrogen synthesis would normalize the growth of boys with familial male precocious puberty. To test this hypothesis, we studied nine boys (age range, 3.3 to 7.7 years) during treatment with an antiandrogen (spironolactone) or an inhibitor of androgen-to-estrogen conversion (testolactone), followed by treatment with both agents. After six months of observation without treatment, the first four boys received spironolactone for six months, followed by spironolactone and testolactone. The next five boys received testolactone for six months, followed by spironolactone and testolactone. Neither spironolactone nor testolactone, given alone, was satisfactory as a treatment for this condition. However, a combination of spironolactone and testolactone, given for at least six months, restored both the growth rate and the rate of bone maturation to normal prepubertal levels and controlled acne, spontaneous erections, and aggressive behavior. The combined therapy was associated with a significantly lower growth rate than testolactone alone (P less than 0.05) and a significantly lower rate of bone maturation than spironolactone alone (P less than 0.05). No important adverse effects were observed during combined treatment. Six of the nine boys continued to receive the combined therapy for an additional 12 months and maintained normal prepubertal rates of growth and bone maturation. The mean predicted height (+/- SEM) increased progressively during the combined treatment although the difference between the pretreatment and post-treatment predictions was not significant (169.5 +/- 2.8 at the end of treatment vs. 166.2 +/- 4.5 cm before treatment; P = 0.29). We conclude that blockade of both androgen action and estrogen synthesis with the combination of spironolactone and testolactone is an effective short-term treatment for familial male precocious puberty. Further study will be required, however, to assess the long-term outcome in boys who receive this treatment.