This case report represents one of the few documented cases of parthenote embryo retrieval from an IVF patient with a history of ovarian teratomas. A 29-year-old woman presented at our centre with a history of primary infertility for 6 years due to male factor. She had undergone left oophorectomy 4 years before due to an ovarian teratoma. An ultrasound scan performed during basal evaluation revealed two complex images in the right ovary suggesting teratomas, measuring 2.5 x 2.4 and 1.7 x 1.3 cm. A significant extent of sonographically normal ovarian parenchyma was present, and the patient underwent the long leuprolide acetate protocol of ovarian stimulation with recombinant FSH for an IVF-ICSI cycle. She had 13 metaphase II (MII), four metaphase I (MI), two germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes and one 4-cell embryo retrieved. Eight out of nine injected oocytes were fertilized normally while one was unfertilized. Embryo transfer was carried out 72 h after retrieval. The 4-cell (parthenote) embryo recovered at oocyte retrieval continued to cleave in culture, developing into a 7-cell embryo by the next day. The embryo was morphologically normal, presenting an evident nucleus in each blastomere. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) returned two signals for the X chromosome in each blastomere that was analysed. Of the eight normally fertilized embryos, three were transferred, resulting in a normal singleton pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby.

Submitted August 16, 2004; accepted December 20, 2004 Purpose : To compare the efficacy and safety of u-hCG with r-hCG in IVF cycles. Methods : A prospective, investigator-blind, randomized, comparative study. Patients (n = 100) ≤35 years with IVF indication were randomly assigned on the day of hCG administration for oocyte maturation to receive either u-hCG (10,000 IU) or r-hCG (250 µg). Results : No statistical differences were found between groups in relation to total number of oocytes retrieved, percentage of mature oocytes, number of injected oocytes, fertilization rates and number of embryos transferred. The data indicate a possible trend toward a higher incidence of pregnancy in the r-hCG group. Adverse events, predominantly injection-site reactions, were significantly more common in the u-hCG group. Conclusions : r-hCG is at least as effective for inducing final stages of oocyte maturation as 10,000 IU u-hCG and is also associated with significantly better patient tolerance and thus higher patient acceptability. KEY WORDS:In vitro fertilization; luteinizing hormone; oocyte maturation; recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin; urinary human chorionic gonadotropin.

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Objective. Our aim was to study the effects of the gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist on the uterine leiomyoma of infertile women. Material and methods. Sixty-seven nulliparous women (aged 24-39 years) with uterine leiomyomas, underwent ultrasonographic study of leiomioma volume, and were divided in two groups. Thirty-one had nodes greater than 300 cm 3 and were treated with goserelin 3.6 mg every 28 days for 6 months (group I); the other 36 patients did not receive medication (group II or control group). Sixteen patients from group I had 436 (median) reduction of the leiomyoma volume (subgroup Ia) and the other 15 women had reduction >36 (subgroup Ib). All women underwent myomectomy.Results. The group with the greater leiomyoma reduction after treatment with goserelin (group Ib) showed a significantly lower percentage of ER+ when compared with group Ia and the control group. Group Ib had a significantly higher percentage of PR+ in relation to the control group, but not to group Ia. The number of blood vessels, AgNOR dots, and cells, and the amount of collagen were not different between the three groups studied. Leiomyomata reduction correlated negatively with the percentage ER+ cells, but positively with the PR+ cells, amount of collagen and number of blood vessels. No correlation was found between the number of AgNOR dots and cellularity. Conclusion. Our data strengthen the hypothesis that the uterine leiomyoma response to steroid hormones results from the presence of specific hormone receptors, and progesterone receptors may also play a role in the development of leiomyoma.

Our data strengthen the hypothesis that the uterine leiomyoma response to steroid hormones results from the presence of specific hormone receptors, and progesterone receptors may also play a role in the development of leiomyoma.