Endometriosis, Ovarian Reserve and Live Birth Rate Following In Vitro Fertilization/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

Abstract

Purpose To evaluate whether women with endometriosis have different ovarian reserves and reproductive outcomes when compared with women without this diagnosis undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI), and to compare the reproductive outcomes between women with and without the diagnosis considering the ovarian reserve assessed by antral follicle count (AFC).

Methods This retrospective cohort study evaluated all women who underwent IVF/ICSI in a university hospital in Brazil between January 2011 and December 2012. All patients were followed up until a negative pregnancy test or until the end of the pregnancy. The primary outcomes assessed were number of retrieved oocytes and live birth. Women were divided into two groups according to the diagnosis of endometriosis, and each group was divided again into a group that had AFC ≤ 6 (poor ovarian reserve) and another that had AFC ≥ 7 (normal ovarian reserve). Continuous variables with normal distribution were compared using unpaired t-test, and those without normal distribution, using Mann-Whitney test. Binary data were compared using either Fisher's exact test or Chi-square (χ²) test. The significance level was set as p < 0.05.

Results 787 women underwent IVF/ICSI (241 of which had endometriosis). Although the mean age has been similar between women with and without the diagnosis of endometriosis (33.8 ± 4 versus 33.7 ± 4.4 years, respectively), poor ovarian reserves were much more common in women with endometriosis (39.8 versus 22.7%). The chance of achieving live birth was similar between women with the diagnosis of endometriosis and those without it (19.1 versus 22.5%), and also when considering only women with a poor ovarian reserve (9.4 versus 8.9%) and only those with a normal ovarian reserve (25.5 versus 26.5%).

Conclusions Women diagnosed with endometriosis are more likely to have a poor ovarian reserve; however, their chance of conceiving by IVF/ICSI is similar to the one observed in patients without endometriosis and with a comparable ovarian reserve.

Resumo

Objetivo Avaliar se mulheres com endometriose possuem diferenças quanto a reserva ovariana (RO) e a resultados de reprodução assistida quando comparadas a mulheres sem este diagnóstico submetidas IVF/ICSI (in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection), e comparar resultados reprodutivos entre mulheres com e sem o diagnóstico, considerando a RO obtida pela contagem de folículos antrais (CFA).

Métodos Este estudo de coorte retrospectivo avaliou todas as mulheres submetidas à FIV/ICSI em uma universidade do Brasil nos anos de 2011 e 2012. Todas as pacientes foram seguidas até um teste negativo de gravidez ou até o final da gestação. Os desfechos primários analisados foram o número do oócitos captados e nascidos vivos. As mulheres foram divididas em 2 grupos de acordo com o diagnóstico de endometriose e subdivididas de acordo com a CFA ≤ 6 (baixa RO) e ≥ 7 (RO normal). As variáveis contínuas com distribuição normal foram comparadas pelo teste t não pareado e sem distribuição normal pelo teste de Mann-Whitney. Os dados binários foram comparados por ambos os testes Qui-quadrado (χ²) e exato de Fisher. O nível de significância foi definido como p < 0,05.

Resultados 787 mulheres foram submetidas a IVF/ICSI (241 com endometriose). Embora a média de idade tenha sido similar entre as mulheres com e sem o diagnóstico de endometriose (33,8 ± 4 versus 33,7 ± 4.4 anos, respectivamente), a baixa RO é muito mais comum em mulheres com endometriose (39,8 versus 22,7%). A chance de obter um nascido vivo foi similar entre as mulheres com e sem endometriose (19,1 versus 22,5%), e também quando consideradas apenas as mulheres com baixa RO (9,4 versus 8,9%), e apenas com RO normal (25,5 versus 26,5%).

Conclusões Mulheres diagnosticadas com endometriose são mais susceptíveis a ter baixa RO; no entanto, suas chances de conceber por IVF/ICSI são similares às observadas em pacientes sem endometriose e com uma RO comparável.

Keywords

endometriosis - ovarian reserve - assisted reproduction - IVF - ICSI

Palavras-chave

endometriose - reserva ovariana - reprodução assistida - fertilização in virto - ICSI

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