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Observational Study
. 2023 Nov 24;21(1):112.
doi: 10.1186/s12958-023-01164-9.

Pregnancy prediction via ultrasound-detected endometrial blood for hormone replacement therapy-frozen embryo transfer: a prospective observational study

Xue Ke  1 , Xue-Fei Liang  1 , Yong-Hong Lin  1 , Fang Wang  2
Affiliations
Observational Study

Pregnancy prediction via ultrasound-detected endometrial blood for hormone replacement therapy-frozen embryo transfer: a prospective observational study

Xue Ke et al. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. .

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to assess the predictive value of endometrial blood flow branches on pregnancy outcomes after hormone replacement therapy-frozen embryo transfer (HRT-FET).

Methods: This prospective observational study involved 292 reproductive-aged women who underwent endometrial receptivity assessment in a tertiary care academic medical center in southwest China using power Doppler ultrasonography during HRT-FET. Three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound was performed on the day of endometrial transformation and the day before embryo transfer. The endometrial blood flow branches of the endometrial and subendometrial regions were compared in the non-pregnant and pregnant groups at the two time points mentioned above.

Results: The endometrial blood flow branches were higher in pregnant patients than in non-pregnant patients on the day of endometrial transformation (P = 0.009) and the day before embryo transfer (P = 0.001). Changes in endometrial blood flow pattern and endometrial blood flow branches at the two time points did not differ among the pregnancy outcome samples. After adjusting for age, antral follicles, and embryos transferred, the endometrial blood flow branches on the day before embryo transfer was the independent factor influencing the chance of clinical pregnancy, with an odds ratio of 3.001 (95% confidence interval: 1.448 - 6.219, P = 0.003).

Conclusions: Endometrial blood flow perfusion during the peri-transplantation period of the HRT-FET cycle is a good indicator of pregnancy outcomes, suggesting that valuation of endometrial branches via power Doppler ultrasound is a simple and effective approach for achieving indicator measurements.

Keywords: Endometrial blood flow; Endometrial receptivity; Frozen embryo transfer; Power doppler ultrasound.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflict of interest for this work.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Power Doppler ultrasound imaging of endometrial and subendometrial blood flow: type-branch. (A) type I - branch<5: the vessels pass through the lateral hypo-echoic band of the endometrium but do not enter the hyper-echoic rim of the endometrium, branch 1. (B) type II - branch<5: the vessels pass through the hyper-echoic rim of the endometrium but do not enter the endometrium, branch 4. (C) type III – branch <5: the vessels enter the endometrium, branch 4
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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