Efficacy of corifollitropin alfa followed by recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone in a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol for Korean women undergoing assisted reproduction / 대한생식의학회지

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol using corifollitropin alfa in women undergoing assisted reproduction. METHODS: Six hundred and eighty-six in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles were analyzed. In 113 cycles, folliculogenesis was induced with corifollitropin alfa and recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH), and premature luteinizing hormone (LH) surges were prevented with a GnRH antagonist. In the control group (573 cycles), premature LH surges were prevented with GnRH agonist injection from the midluteal phase of the preceding cycle, and ovarian stimulation was started with rFSH. The treatment duration, quality of oocytes and embryos, number of embryo transfer (ET) cancelled cycles, risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), and the chemical pregnancy rate were evaluated in the two ovarian stimulation protocols. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in age and infertility factors between treatment groups. The treatment duration was shorter in the corifollitropin alfa group than in the control group. Although not statistically significant, the mean numbers of matured (86.8% vs. 85.1%) and fertilized oocytes (84.2% vs. 83.1%), good embryos (62.4% vs. 60.3%), and chemical pregnancy rates (47.2% vs. 46.8%) were slightly higher in the corifollitropin alfa group than in the control group. In contrast, rates of ET cancelled cycles and the OHSS risk were slightly lower in the corifollitropin alfa group (6.2% and 2.7%) than in the control group (8.2% and 3.5%), although these differences were also not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Although no significant differences were observed, the use of corifollitropin alfa seems to offer some advantages to patients because of its short treatment duration, safety, lower ET cancellation rate and reduced risk of OHSS.

Extra-renal anomalies associated with fetal renal dysgenesis / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate other anomalies associated with the fetal renal dysgenesis and prognosis. METHODS: Level II sonography were reviewed in the pregnant women who had been diagnosed with fetal renal dysgenesis antenatally from March 1998 to February 2005. Diagnosis was comfirmed by the autopsy or the postnatal studies including sonographic and radiologic evaluation. RESULTS: Thirty fetuses had a fetal renal dysgenesis. There were 2 cases of polycystic kidney, 4 cases of bilateral renal agenesis, 4 cases of unilateral renal agenesis, 3 cases of bilateral multicystic dysplastic kidney and 17 cases of unilateral multicystic dysplastic kidney. The common associated anomalies were congenital heart disease (7 cases), single umbilical artery (5 cases), imperforate anus (2 cases) and tracheo-esophageal fistula (2 cases). Hypospadia and scoliosis with hemivertebra were also noted. CONCLUSION: The most common anomaly associated with renal dysgenesis was congenital heart diseases. If fetal renal dysgenesis is detected antenatally, fetal echocardiography should be performed.