The effect of intrauterine diethylstilbestrol exposure on ovarian reserve screening

Abstract

Objective: Our goal was to evaluate the effect of intrauterine diethylstilbestrol exposure on ovarian reserve. Study design: Four hundred two women underwent ovarian reserve screening. Twenty had intrauterine diethylstilbestrol exposure, and 382 women did not have exposure. The groups were compared regarding age, the incidence of diminished ovarian reserve, and cycle length. Nine women with and 204 women without diethylstilbestrol exposure underwent comparison of the total human menopausal gonadotropin dose, the day of human chorionic gonadotropin administration, the peak estradiol level, and the number of mature follicles. Results: The diethylstilbestrol-exposed women were similar in age (37 ± 3.4 years) to the non-diethylstilbestrol-exposed women (35 ± 4.4 years, p > 0.05). Three of 20 exposed women (15.8%) and 57 of 382 nonexposed women (15.3%) had diminished ovarian reserve ( p = 0.41). When the exposed women were compared with the nonexposed subjects, the amounts of human menopausal gonadotropin (30 ± 10 vs 33.7 ± 10.6 ampules) required to achieve peak estradiol levels (633 ± 323 vs 817 ± 518 pg/ml) with comparable numbers of follicles (5.7 ± 2.7 vs 5.4 ± 2.8) on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin administration were similar ( p > 0.05). Conclusions: The diethylstilbestrol-exposed and nonexposed women had a similar incidence of diminished ovarian reserve and a similar follicular response to gonadotropins.