Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009 Jan;91(1):110-4.
doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.11.018. Epub 2008 Feb 4.

Microdose follicular flare: a viable alternative for normal-responding patients undergoing in vitro fertilization?

Eric D Levens  1 , Brian W Whitcomb, Jonathan D Kort, Donna Materia-Hoover, Frederick W Larsen
Affiliations

Microdose follicular flare: a viable alternative for normal-responding patients undergoing in vitro fertilization?

Eric D Levens et al. Fertil Steril. 2009 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: To compare cycle outcomes among normal-responding patients <or=30 years old receiving microdose follicular flare (MDF) and long-luteal agonist (LL).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Military-based assisted reproductive technology (ART) center.

Patient(s): First autologous ART cycles among 499 women <or=30 years old from January 1999 to December 2005.

Intervention(s): After oral contraceptive pill (OCP) administration before cycle start, patients were nonrandomly assigned to either LL or MDF for LH surge suppression. Patients in the LL group received 1 mg/day leuprolide acetate (LA) on cycle day 21, which was reduced to 0.25 mg/day 10-14 days later. Patients in the MDF group received LA (40 microg twice a day) beginning 3 days after discontinuing OCPs. Both groups received a combination of hMG and recombinant FSH.

Main outcome measure(s): Primary outcomes were implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live-birth rates; in-cycle variables included peak E(2), oocytes retrieved, oocyte maturity, and fertilization rate.

Result(s): Multivariable models controlling for confounding by treatment indication found no significant differences between groups in implantation (MDF, 36%; LL, 38%), clinical pregnancy (MDF, 53%; LL, 56%), and live-birth rates (MDF, 47%; LL, 50%). No differences were observed in peak E(2), oocytes retrieved, oocyte maturity, fertilization rate, or embryos transferred.

Conclusion(s): MDF use among normal-responding ART patients produced no differences in cycle outcome when compared with LL. Therefore, MDF may be a viable alternative for normal-responding patients.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None

References

    1. Janssens RM, Lambalk CB, Vermeiden JP, Schats R, Bernards JM, Rekers-Mombarg LT, et al. Dose-finding study of triptorelin acetate for prevention of a premature LH surge in IVF: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Hum Reprod. 2000;15:2333–40. - PubMed
    1. San Roman GA, Surrey ES, Judd HL, Kerin JF. A prospective randomized comparison of luteal phase versus concurrent follicular phase initiation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist for in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril. 1992;58:744–9. - PubMed
    1. Hughes EG, Fedorkow DM, Daya S, Sagle MA, Van de Koppel P, Collins JA. The routine use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists prior to in vitro fertilization and gamete intrafallopian transfer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Fertil Steril. 1992;58:888–96. - PubMed
    1. Porter RN, Smith W, Craft IL, Abdulwahid NA, Jacobs HS. Induction of ovulation for in-vitro fertilisation using buserelin and gonadotropins. Lancet. 1984;2:1284–5. - PubMed
    1. van Loenen AC, Huirne JA, Schats R, Hompes PG, Lambalk CB. GnRH agonists, antagonists, and assisted conception. Semin Reprod Med. 2002;20:349–64. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms