The effect of leuprolide acetate in aiding induction of ovulation in hypergonadotropic hypogonadism: a case report

Abstract

A 43-year-old woman with a history of 5 years of amenorrhea sought help in achieving a pregnancy. Her gonadotropins were found to be elevated and thus she was diagnosed as having ovarian failure. She was made to ovulate on many occasions by suppressing her gonadotropins first with estrogen, then stimulating her ovaries with hMG. However, she became refractory to this therapy and she was switched from estrogen to LA to suppress gonadotropins. The woman ovulated three times just with leuprolide therapy before any hMG was added. A possible hypothesis is that, on the way down to subnormal levels of LH and FSH, a critical level of gonadotropins was attained where they were still high enough to stimulate the follicles, but low enough to allow restoration of gonadotropin receptors, which previously had been down-regulated by the elevated gonadotropin levels.