role of cervical biopsy in unexplained infertility: case conrol study

ABSTRACT

Unexplained infertility has a variable incidence. Its diagnosis and management are difficult. In the present study, 52 patients were diagnosed to have unexplained infertility according to Templeton and Penny [1982]. Cervical biopsies were taken from that group and compared to 42 controls. Chronic cervicitis was found in 28 cases [53.9%], two of them were bilharzial compared to 6 [14.3%] in the control group. In 8 patients of the unexplained infertility group, the peroxidase antiperoxidase staining [PAP] was positive for IgA [15.4%] compared to 3 cases in the control group [7.1%] suggesting an immunological cause of unexplained infertility in this subgroup. This finding in addition to the high incidence of chronic cervicitis in apprantly normal looking cervix r may recommend the use of cervical biopsy in investigation of unexplained infertility