Application of ultrasound multimodal score in the assessment of endometrial receptivity in patients with artificial abortion

An endometrial receptivity scoring system evaluated by ultrasonography in patients undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer: a prospective cohort study

Introduction

Ultrasound has become a routine method for endometrial receptivity (ER) evaluation. However, there is controversy over the independent evaluation values of various ultrasound indicators. Some researchers have designed multi-indicator prediction systems, but their prediction values are uneven. To further our understanding of ER, we conducted this prospective cohort study to estimate ER noninvasively and effectively.

Methods

Women who underwent the first frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycle from April 2019 to July 2021 were included in the study. On the day of transfer, transvaginal three-dimensional ultrasound examination was performed to evaluate ER, including endometrial thickness, morphology, volume, movement, blood flow and flow index. The clinical pregnancy rate was the primary outcome. Based on whether clinical pregnancy was achieved, enrolled patients were divided into pregnant and nonpregnant groups.

Results

This study analyzed 197 FET patients (139 pregnancies in total, 70.5%). The protective factors for clinical pregnancy included primary infertility [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.98; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-3.882; p = 0.047] and more frequent endometrial peristalsis (aOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.028-1.722; p = 0.03). Scores of 1-2 were assigned according to the relationship between different ultrasound indicators and the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR). The ER score of the patient was the sum of the scores of the 6 items. The ER score of the pregnant group was significantly higher than that of the nonpregnant group (7.40 ± 1.73 vs. 6.33 ± 1.99, p = 0.001). The CPR increased with an increasing ER score. The CPR in the ER < 6 group was significantly lower than that in the ER >6 group (45.5% vs. 75.6%, p = 0.001).

Conclusion

A noninvasive ultrasound scoring system for ER was proposed. This system may provide a non-invasive guidance perspective, in conjunction with invasive assessments currently used in clinical practice, to achieve more effective embryo transfer.

Association between previous surgical termination of pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles of IVF/ICSI: a retrospective cohort study

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of previous surgical termination of pregnancy (STP) on pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing FET cycles of IVF/ICSI. Retrospective cohort study. Reproductive Center of Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital in Lianyungang city. Data were selected from all IVF/ICSI FET cycles performed between January 2014 and December 2020. A total of 761 cycles met the criteria were included in this study. The primary outcome measures were clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. Secondary outcome measures were biochemical pregnancy rate, spontaneous abortion rate, and preterm birth rate. After adjustments for a series of potential confounding factors, the previous STP was an influential factor in reducing FET cycle clinical pregnancy rate compared with women who had not previously undergone STP (OR = 0.614, 95% CI 0.413-0.911, P = 0.016). The effect of the previous STP on the live birth rate was not statistically significant. (OR = 0.745, 95% CI 0.495-1.122, P = 0.159). Also, an increase in the number of previous STPs relative to only 1-time abortion was an independent risk factor in reducing clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate (OR = 0.399,95% CI 0.162-0.982, p = 0.046; OR = 0.32,95% CI 0.119-0.857, p = 0.023). Previous STP was an independent factor contributing to the decline in FET cycle clinical pregnancy rates.