Fertility, infertility and thrombophilia

Abstract

Hypercoagulation has been reported in some studies to be associated with reproductive failures, such as unexplained infertility, IVF implantation failure and recurrent fetal losses. Many pregnancy-related disorders have been interpreted as consequences of impaired microvascular function and might be viewed as a mild form of venous thromboembolic disease. In the absence of clinical guidelines, there is a need for an evidence base regarding thrombophilic screening and antithrombotic therapy in cases of reproductive failure. This article will focus on the controversial effect of congenital and acquired thrombophilia on human fertility, and will review the English literature for relevant studies identified by searching PubMed(®) results between January 1966-November 2010 using the key words: 'thrombophilia', 'fertility' and 'infertility'.