Patients with a history of hyperemesis gravidarum have similar symptoms during egg stimulation and develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: case series

Abstract

To investigate the symptoms and outcomes of ovarian stimulation in patients with a history of hyperemesis gravidarum. Retrospective case series. Research laboratory of a university hospital. Participants in an ongoing study on hyperemesis gravidarum that reported ovarian stimulation for gestational surrogacy. Review of medical records. Pregnancy history, symptoms, estradiol level and mature oocyte number in cases, and nausea and vomiting level reported in surrogate. Three cases in their early thirties with a history of hyperemesis gravidarum presented with severe nausea and vomiting during ovarian stimulation and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Gestational carriers reported normal nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. This series provides lessons for in vitro fertilization for cases with a history of hyperemesis gravidarum and their gestational carriers as well as insight into the cause of hyperemesis gravidarum and its potential role in fertility. A link between hyperemesis gravidarum and an evolutionary advantage of increased fertility suggests a novel theory to explain the selection for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.