Reduced developmental potential in oocytes from women with endometriosis.

Abstract

To study retrospectively the outcome of intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI) in women with endometriosis compared with women with no known female infertility factor. All couples treated with ICSI because of male infertility plus verified endometriosis (n = 26) and all couples treated with ICSI because of male infertility only (n = 125) during the period January 1995 to June 1999 were included. Data were collected from patient files and ICSI protocols. The time to complete down regulation was significantly longer (p = 0.0108), the dose of FSH significantly higher (0.0247), the day for oocyte pickup significantly later (p = 0.0091), and the cleavage rate of oocytes significantly lower (p = 0.0011) in women with endometriosis compared with controls. There was no significant difference in implantation rate or pregnancy rate between the groups. Women with endometriosis presented significantly reduced follicular response and oocyte cleavage rate, two mechanisms that might be related to a disturbed oogenesis.