scholarly journals Comparative study of clomiphene citrate versus letrozole as first-line ovulation induction drug in infertile polycystic ovary syndrome women

Author(s):  
Mahija Sahu ◽  
Nihar Ranjan Rout

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome is the commonest endocrinopathy resulting in anovulatory infertile young women. Clomifene citrate (clomiphene) is a long-standing standard drug for ovulation induction, and is still considered as first line option in PCOS women. However, clomiphene has certain disadvantage letrozole an aromatase inhibitor acts by reducing estrogen production and has no adverse effects on endometrium and cervical mucous. Indian PCOS women have high prevalence of insulin resistance and thus are likely to have high clomiphene resistance. So letrozole could prove to be a good alternative for ovulation induction in such women.Methods: This was a prospective randomized, parallel, comparative clinical trial of two ovulation induction drugs letrozole 5 mg versus clomiphene citrate 100 mg as first-line ovulation induction drug in infertile polycystic ovarian syndrome women. The target population of the study was one hundred infertile women with PCO (taking at least 2 Rotterdam’s parameters). 50 women were allocated to clomifene citrate and 50 were allocated to Letrozole for ovulation induction. Parameters like age, duration of infertility, B MI, ovulation rate, number of follicles, pregnancy rate, endometrial thickness were noted and analyzed.Results: In letrozole group, the ovulation rate, mono-follicular development, mean endometrial thickness and pregnancy rate was better in comparison to clomifene citrate group.Conclusions: The result of this study suggests that letrozole may replace clomiphene as the first line drug for ovulation induction in infertile PCOS women.

2014 ◽  
pp. 86-93
Author(s):  
Minh Tam Le

Backgrounds: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of female infertility due to ovulation disorders. Clomiphene citrate (CC) is a first choice to restore ovulation but it has some side effects by estrogen receptor down-regulation. Aromatase inhibitor (AI) is a newer class of drugs which increases the production of endogenous FSH to stimulate ovulation. Subjects and methods: randomized control trial to compare 64 cases of infertile women with PCOS examined at the Hue University Hospital, alternately used AI (group I) or CC (group II) for ovulation induction from day 2 cycle. Follow-up follicle growth, endometrium and ovulation via ultrasound. Evaluation were done on 10th day cycle, day of hCG trigger and after administration of hCG. Results: Total of 64 PCOS cases distributed into 2 groups using alternatively AI and CC had similar characteristics with average age of 28.8 ± 4.6, the majority were primary infertility (84.4%), infertility duration was 2.6 ± 2.4 years, 85.9% had oligomenorrhrea or amenorrhea, normal body mass index accounts for 60.9% and 21.9% was lean. Evaluation of both groups on day 10 revealed no differences in the dominant follicle and endometrial thickness. Number of days until the follicle mature appears to be shorter in AI group (15.1 ± 2.9) compared to the CC group (16.5 ± 2.8) with statistical significance. The number of mature follicles in 2 groups were not different at a rate of 81.3% (AI) and 84.4% (CC) but a higher proportion of single mature follicle in the AI ​​group (71.9%) compared with the CC group (65.7%) and There is no case with 3-4 mature follicles in the AI group. The rate of thin endometrium (<8 mm) in the AI group (25%) was lower than the CC group (53.1%) with statistically significance and higher ovulation rate (68.8%) compared with the CC group (56.3%) but have not found statistically significant. Conclusion: Two drugs AI and CC potentially induce follicle development and ovulation similarly, but AI has the potential to be more effective than CC on factors such as the shorter stimulation duration, increasing rate of single follicle, limiting multiple pregnancies, improve endometrial thickness and higher ovulation rate. More researches are needed with a larger sample size to clarify the statistical significance of differences.


Author(s):  
Fadia J Alizzi

Objectives: The objective is to evaluate the clinical outcome of using letrozole alone or with gonadotropin as first-line ovulation induction in anovulatory infertile polycystic ovary women. Methods: A prospective single-arm study. 80 infertile polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) women had been recruited between January and October 2017. Letrozole on day 2–3 of the cycle was given. The women are sorted into two groups according to the size of the dominant follicle on day 7 or 8, Group A (letrozole only group) and Group B (letrozole plus gonadotropin).Results: In our study, the overall pregnancy rate was (67.5%) and ovulation rate was 91.3%. The ovulation rate was significantly higher in Subgroup A than B (97.9% vs. 81.3%). Pregnancy rate was higher in Subgroup A (72.9% vs. 59.4%), but it was statistically not significant. The number of follicles was significantly higher in Subgroup B. Endometrial thickness, miscarriages, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, and multiple pregnancies were not statistically significant. Lower cycle number independently and significantly predict clinical pregnancy, while body mass index has a modest effect.Conclusions: Letrozole alone or in combination with gonadotropin as a first-line treatment in PCOS may be reasonable since this approach may improve the success rate and minimize the overall costs and risks. 


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Costello ◽  
Rhonda Garad ◽  
Roger Hart ◽  
Hayden Homer ◽  
Louise Johnson ◽  
...  

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility in women of reproductive age. Lifestyle change is considered the first line treatment for the management of infertile anovulatory women with PCOS, and weight loss for those who are overweight or obese. First line medical ovulation induction therapy to improve fertility outcomes is letrozole, whilst other less efficacious ovulation induction agents, such as clomiphene citrate, metformin, and metformin combined with clomiphene citrate, may also be considered. Metformin combined with clomiphene citrate is more effective than clomiphene citrate alone. In obese women with PCOS, clomiphene citrate could be used in preference to metformin alone whilst clomiphene citrate could be added to metformin alone in order to improve reproductive outcome in all women with PCOS. Gonadotrophins, which are more effective than clomiphene citrate in therapy naïve women with PCOS, can be considered a first line therapy in the presence of ultrasound monitoring, following counselling on the cost and the potential risk of multiple pregnancy.


Author(s):  
Sholeh Shahgheibi ◽  
Fariba Seyedoshohadaei ◽  
Danial Khezri ◽  
Solmaz Ghasemi

Background: Various strategies have been proposed for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) treatment. Objective: To investigate and compare the number and size of ovarian follicles, endometrial thickness, and ovulation rate by traditional protocol (TP) and stair-step protocol (SSP). Materials and Methods: Sixty infertile PCOS women were allocated into two groups (SSP = 30 and control TP = 30) between May and October 2019 in the Besat Hospital, Sanandaj, Iran. In the SSP group, the infertile women were treated with 50 mg/daily clomiphene citrate (CC) for five days, while the nonresponsive women were prescribed 100 mg daily CC for five days in the same cycle. The maximum dose (150 mg) was administered until ovulation occurred. In the control group, in non-ovulatory cases, the dose was increased in the next cycle. Ultrasound was used to detect ovulation. Results: Endometrial thickness changes with various doses of CC were significantly different in the TP. The comparison of both protocols showed a significant difference in endometrial thickness only at 50 mg CC. The number of follicles in the left ovary was significantly different in both protocols at 150-mg CC. The size of ovarian follicles in the left ovary was significantly different between the two protocols at 100-mg CC. The ovulation rate was significantly different in the SSP at 100- and 150-mg doses of CC. Moreover, 86% of ovulation occurred at 100-mg CC in the SSP, while this rate was 73% in the TP. Conclusion: The most appropriate dose for ovulation in patients with PCOS is 100 mg CC. Key words: Polycystic ovary syndrome, Clomiphene, Infertility, Ovulation induction.


Author(s):  
Mendiratta Suman ◽  
Joshi Amit Kumar ◽  
Netra Harendra Kumar

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome is the commonest endocrinopathy in anovulatory infertility in young women. It is estimated that infertility affects 10 to 14% of the Indian population of which approximately 25-30% part occupied by PCOS. Methods: This prospective study enrolled 180 infertile women with PCOS, age 21-35 yrs who have taken 1 cycle of clomiphene citrate 100 mg, endometrial thickness <7 mm inspite of follicles greater than 18 mm. Half of them treated with clomiphene citrate with estradiol valerate and remaining half with letrozole. Results: In Group-A treated with clomiphene citrate with estradiol valerate 13 patients (16.3%) conceived and in Group-B treated with letrozole 26 patients (32.5%) conceived. Conclusion: Pregnancy rate is higher in group which treatment with letrozole in comparison with clomiphene citrate plus estradiol valerate. Keywords: Polycystic ovary syndrome, Infertility, Pregnancy rate


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