Letrozole versus Clomiphene Citrate in Patients with Anovulatory Infertility

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective To compare the effectiveness of letrozole and clomiphene citrate (CC) in patients with anovulatory infertility. Design Open, prospective, randomized, parallel group, multicentric, comparative trial. Setting Outpatient clinics of infertility centers in India. Patient(s) Fifty-five patients with anovulatory infertility were recruited. Twenty-seven patients (59 cycles) were given letrozole and twenty-eight patients (68 cycles) were given CC. Both drugs were given orally on days 3-7 of menstrual cycle. Intervention(s) Letrozole, CC, ovulation induction, vaginal micronized progesterone, IUI. Main outcome measure(s) Occurrence of ovulation, endometrial thickness and pregnancy rates. Result(s) Ovulation occurred in 77.9 % (46/59) of letrozole cycles and in 80.9 % (55/68) of CC cycles. The mean endometrial thickness on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin administration was 9 mm in letrozole group and 8.76 mm in the CC group. Pregnancy rate per cycle was 11.9 % (7/59) in the letrozole group and 8.8 % (6/68) in the CC group. Conclusion(s) Letrozole and CC have comparable effectiveness in anovulatory infertility patients. Letrozole may be an acceptable alternative to CC as an ovulation-inducing drug.