Toxoplasmosis: the innocent suspect of pregnancy wastage in Duhok, Iraq

To identify the true contribution of toxoplasmosis to fetal loss and bad obstetric history, we tested 310 women, 77.4% of whom had had single or multiple fetal loss, for evidence of infection. The study was conducted in Duhok, northern Iraq, from July 2002 till September 2003. All the women were examined for the presence of toxoplasma-specific IgM antibodies by enzyme-linked immunofluorescent assay; only 3 [0.97%] tested positive. We also tested 187 of the women by latex agglutination test; 55 tested positive. Histopathological examination was done for 9 pregnant women who tested positive by the latex agglutination test but we found no evidence of toxoplasma infection. The results indicate that the contribution of toxoplasmosis to fetal loss in our region is greatly overestimated

infertile couple: a cohort study in Duhok, Iraq

From January 2000 to May 2001 causes of infertility were studied for 250 couples, 193 [77.2%] of whom had primary infertility and 57 [22.8%] had secondary infertility. Male infertility was found in 36.8% of cases. The most common cause of female infertility was ovulation disorders [41%] while tubal obstruction contributed to only 5% of cases. Only 15% of the couples had unexplained infertility. Galactorrhoea and/or increased serum prolactin was seen in 60% of cases. Ultrasonographic detection of mature follicles was consistent with the results of cervical mucus study and endometrial biopsy in 90% of cases