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Endometrial and follicular development following letrozole intervention in unexplained infertile patients failed to get pregnant with clomiphene citrate

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Abstract

Purpose

This study is designed to evaluate and compare follicular phase parameters during ovarian stimulation with the clomiphene citrate (CC) and letrozole (LET) in unexplained infertile patients who failed to get pregnant following frequent CC-treated cycles.

Methods

A total of 64 unexplained infertile women who failed to get pregnant following frequent CC-treated cycles were studied for one CC-treated cycle (100 mg/day), 2 washout cycles, and then 1 LET-treated cycle (5 mg/day). Number of follicles over 14 mm in diameter, diameter of the largest follicles, endometrial thickness, serum estradiol (E2) and LH levels were measured when one mature follicle over 18 mm in diameter detected during transvaginal ultrasonography.

Results

The mean value of the largest follicle diameter, number of developed follicles >14 mm, endometrial thickness and LH in LET-treated cycle was significantly higher than CC-treated cycle (P values were 0.007, <0.001, <0.001, and 0.004, respectively), whereas mean level of E2 showed a significantly lower level during LET-treated cycle (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

About 5 mg/day of LET is associated with better follicular phase parameters, endometrial development, serum E2 and LH levels in women with unexplained infertility who failed to get pregnant following frequent CC-treated cycles.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Jafar Sadegh Tabrizi for his comments and advice.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Fatemeh Gatreh Samani, Nariman Nezami & Mohammad Kazem Tarzamni

  2. Department of Obstetric and Gynecology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Laya Farzadi & Fatemeh Soleimani

  3. Young Researchers Club, Tabriz Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

    Nariman Nezami

  4. Clinical Pharmacy Laboratory, Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Pashmineh, Daneshgah Street, Tabriz, Iran

    Nariman Nezami

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  1. Fatemeh Gatreh Samani
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  2. Laya Farzadi
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Correspondence to Nariman Nezami.

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Samani, F.G., Farzadi, L., Nezami, N. et al. Endometrial and follicular development following letrozole intervention in unexplained infertile patients failed to get pregnant with clomiphene citrate. Arch Gynecol Obstet 280, 201–205 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-008-0888-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-008-0888-9

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