Pregnancy Outcomes in Infertile Women with Polycystic Ovaries following Intracellular Sperm Injection

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine condition characterized by polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM), oligo- or anovulation, and clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism. Intracytoplamic sperm injection (ICSI) has been used extensively in treatment of infertile women with PCOS. In Iraq, pregnancy outcomes in PCOS patients following ICSI have yet to be evaluated. This study has therefore been conducted to define pregnancy outcomes in Iraqi PCOS patients as well as to define oocyte meiotic competence and normality following ovarian hyperstimulation. Although high doses of gonadotropin were used in infertile women with normal ovaries, the numbers of retrieved oocytes and estradiol peak levels were higher in patients with PCOM and PCOS than in patients with normal ovaries (P0.01). We also found that PCOM women have higher antral follicle count (AFC) than did PCOS women (P=0.0001). Moreover, significant high mean numbers of immature, mature, and degenerated oocytes were observed in PCOS and PCOM patients in comparison to those in control patient, which might be due to the high bulk of AFC and consequently higher numbers of oocyte recovered in PCOS or PCOM. As for ICSI outcomes, PCOS or PCOM patients had significantly higher fertilization, grade one embryo, embryo transfer and implantation, pregnancy, and live birth rates than did control patients. It is concluded that infertile women with PCOS or PCOM have higher pregnancy rates than do infertile women with unexplained or tubal-type infertility following ICSI.