Bypassing physiological puberty, a novel procedure of oocyte cryopreservation at age 7: a case report and review of the literature
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Objective To report the first successful oocyte cryopreservation in a prepubertal girl.Design Case report and review of the literature.Setting Tertiary medical center.Patient(s) A 7-year-old prepubertal girl with Turner syndrome mosaicism (45,X[37]/47,XXX[15]) who underwent a novel fertility preservation procedure after fertility preservation counseling and informed decision of the parents.Intervention(s) Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with daily administration of 100 IU recombinant human follicle-stimulating and 50 IU recombinant human luteinizing hormone per milliliter, injection of 250 μg human chorionic gonadotropin was given 36 hours before the follicular aspiration procedure, and oocytes retrieved by a transabdominal ultrasound guided approach.Main outcome measure(s) Mature oocyte cryopreservation.Result(s) The first cryopreservation cycle with use of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist trigger failed to yield oocytes. The second cycle with human chorionic gonadotropin trigger was successful. Six oocytes were retrieved, and all were mature metaphase 2. The patient was discharged in good condition with no complications.Conclusion(s) This novel procedure bypasses the timely physiologic progression of pubertal maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis to directly target the ovaries and achieve mature ovarian follicles. This innovative approach offers a new treatment modality for prepubertal girls who need fertility preservation such as in Turner syndrome or in cases that ovarian tissue cryopreservation is contraindicated.
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Published data regarding oocyte cryopreservation in individuals with TS entails six retrospective studies and eight case reports comprising a total of 80 individuals ranging in age from 7 to 30 years.
“To date, published data regarding oocyte cryopreservation in individuals with TS entails six retrospective studies and eight case reports comprising a total of 80 individuals ranging in age from 7 to 30 years.578,591,596-607”
From Clinical practice guidelines for the care of girls and women with Turner syndrome. (2024) · cites this paper as [602]
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- Authors
- Azem, F., Brener, A., Malinger, G., Reches, A., Many, A., Yogev, Y., & Lebenthal, Y.
- Affiliations
- Tel Aviv University (IL)
- Corresponding author
- Azem, Foad
- Venue
- Fertility and Sterility
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-08
- Volume
- 114
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 374-378
- ISSN
- 0015-0282 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3022786500
- Cited by
- 46
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 4.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Fertility and Sterility (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Biology and Fertility
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Physiology › Reproductive biology and impacts on aquatic species
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Ovarian function and disorders
- Keywords
- oocyte cryopreservation, prepubertal girls, Turner syndrome mosaicism, fertility preservation, controlled ovarian stimulation, human chorionic gonadotropin trigger, oocyte retrieval, hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, ovarian follicle maturation
- MeSH terms
- Age Factors, Child, Child Development, Female, Fertility, Fertility Agents, Female, Humans, Infertility, Female, Ovary, Ovulation Induction, Puberty, Turner Syndrome, Cryopreservation, Treatment Outcome, Oocyte Retrieval, Fertility Preservation
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