Recurrent severe hyperandrogenism during pregnancy: a case report

This report describes the case of a 28 year old woman with virilisation occurring in two successive pregnancies. Recurrent maternal virilisation is rare (seven previous reports) and this case is unique in its severity. Differential diagnoses include ovarian disease and fetal aromatase deficiency. New techniques to exclude a fetal cause were used in this case. This patient presented during the third trimester of her first pregnancy with rapid onset of hirsuitism, increased musculature, and deepening voice. A blood hormone profile revealed significant hyperandrogenism (testosterone, 72.4 nmol/litre; normal range, 0.5-3.0). She delivered a normal boy and maternal androgen concentrations returned rapidly to normal (testosterone, 0.8 nmol/litre). She presented two years later, during her second pregnancy, with similar symptoms and biochemistry (testosterone, 47.5 nmol/litre). Again, she delivered a healthy normal boy and androgens returned immediately to normal (serum testosterone, 2.0 nmol/litre). Ultrasonography revealed no evidence of ovarian (or adrenal) masses in either pregnancy. Umbilical cord venous blood sampling and placental assays revealed no evidence of fetal aromatase deficiency. Recurrent hyperandrogenism during pregnancy is rare. Ovarian luteoma rarely recurs and hyperreactio luteinalis does not lead to such pronounced androgen concentrations. Therefore, this patient has a unique ovarian condition that could be harmful to offspring and mother.

The influence of ovarian response on gamete intra-Fallopian transfer outcome in older women

Fecundity declines with increasing age in women. The pregnancy rate is lower in in-vitro fertilization/embryo transfer (IVF/ET) in women aged greater than or equal to 40 years. We analysed 349 consecutive gamete intra-Fallopian transfer (GIFT) cycles in women aged greater than or equal to 40 years to identify factors which affected the outcome. A maximum of four oocytes were transferred in GIFT as recommended by the Interim Licensing Authority; 61 women (17.5%) had a positive serum beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin, 35 (10%) had a miscarriage and 26 (7.5%) delivered live infants. The pregnancy rate was lower than with younger women while the conception loss was higher. Pregnancy and delivery rates increased as the number of oocytes retrieved increased but declined again if greater than 10 oocytes were retrieved. If 1-3 oocytes were retrieved, the pregnancy rate was 9.7% and the delivery rate was 3.9%; if 4-10 oocytes were retrieved, the pregnancy rate was 22.1% and the delivery rate was 10.1%, and when greater than 10 oocytes were retrieved, the rates were 17.6 and 5.9% respectively. The highest pregnancy rate was when four oocytes were transformed in GIFT (22.4%) and the delivery rate was 10.0%. An adequate response to long down-regulation with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist was also a factor associated with high delivery rates (13.5%). We conclude that the delivery rate after GIFT in women aged greater than or equal to 40 years is low, but there is a subgroup who have an acceptable delivery rate because of a good ovarian response. In this group, pituitary down-regulation improves the outcome of treatment.

The reproductive outcome following a superhigh response to stimulation in gamete intrafallopian transfer program

A retrospective analysis was carried out to assess the outcome of gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) in cycles when more than 10 oocytes were retrieved (superhigh responders) from October 1987 through June 1989. There were 276 (13%) cycles with more than 10 oocytes retrieved among all GIFT cycles initiated during the period. Clomiphene citrate and gonadotropin were employed for ovarian stimulation in 105 (38%) cycles, and gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist in the remaining 171 (62%) cycles, employing either the flare (104 cycles) or the pituitary down-regulation (67 cycles) protocol. A maximum number of four oocytes was transferred per GIFT (3.5 +/- 0.4). The mean number of oocytes retrieved was 14.7 +/- 4.4 (range, 11 to 35). A significantly younger age group (less than 30 years) of patients was noticed in the study (31.9), and fewer women aged 40 and over (6.2%), compared to the general population of our patients. The pregnancy rate was 33.3% (n = 92) per cycle, with a delivery rate of 23.6% (n = 64) per cycle; the pregnancy loss rate was 30.8%. The reproductive outcome was lower in women aged 40 and over (pregnancy rate was 23.5%, but delivery rate was only 5.8% per cycle). The delivery rate was lower in the clomiphene citrate- and gonadotropin-stimulated cycles (51.7% per pregnancy) in relation to gonadotropin-releasing analogue and gonadotropin cycles (76.6% per pregnancy) and significantly so compared with the pituitary down-regulation protocol (83.3% per pregnancy). We conclude that a superhigh response develops more in younger women, and in such circumstances, the use of pituitary down-regulation with gonadotropin-releasing hormone will improve the reproductive outcome.