Relationship of biochemical pregnancy to pre-ovulatory endometrial thickness and pattern in patients undergoing ovulation induction
Abstract
In order to assess the relationship between pre-ovulatory endometrial thickness and pattern and biochemical pregnancy, the pregnancy outcome was retrospectively analysed in 81 patients undergoing ovulation induction evaluated by vaginal ultrasound on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration or luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. Biochemical pregnancies occurred in 7/32 (21.9%) pregnancies when endometrial thickness was < 9 mm, compared to 0/49 when endometrial thickness was > or = 9 mm on the day of HCG administration or LH surge (P < 0.0025). Clinical abortions occurred in 5/32 (15.6%) pregnancies when endometrial thickness was 6-8 mm, compared to 6/49 (12.2%) when endometrial thickness was 6-8 mm (NS). Endometrial thickness was related to the cycle day of HCG or LH surge (r = 0.37, P < 0.001) but was unrelated to oestradiol level on the day of HCG administration or LH surge (r = 0.12). Biochemical pregnancies were related to endometrial pattern (r = -0.22, P = 0.02) but were unrelated to maternal age or previous abortions. Clinical abortions were related to age (r = 0.26, P = 0.01) and to previous abortion (r = 0.25, P = 0.013) but were unrelated to endometrial pattern. Neither biochemical pregnancy nor clinical abortion was related to oestradiol or LH levels on the day of HCG administration or LH surge. These findings suggest that the majority of biochemical pregnancies do not result from karyotypically abnormal embryos, as do clinical abortions.
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There is a significantly higher rate of biochemical pregnancies when endometrial thickness is 6-8 mm.
“and a significantly higher rate of biochemical pregnancies when the endometrial thickness was 6 -8 mm (15).”
From A randomized double-blind comparison of the effects of clomiphene citrate and the aromatase inhibitor letrozole on ovulatory function in normal women (2002) · cites this paper as [15]
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- Authors
- Dickey, R. P., Olar, T. T., Taylor, S. N., Curole, D. N., & Harrigill, K.
- Affiliations
- Tulane University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Dickey, R.P.
- ORCID
- Dickey, R.P.
- Venue
- Human Reproduction
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1993-02
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 327-330
- ISSN
- 0268-1161 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2350
- OpenAlex
- W1913710255
- Cited by
- 57
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Human Reproduction (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Reproductive System and Pregnancy
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Reproductive Health and Technologies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Biology and Fertility
- Keywords
- biochemical pregnancy, endometrial thickness, endometrial pattern, ovulation induction, human chorionic gonadotropin, luteinizing hormone surge, estradiol, maternal age, previous abortion, embryo karyotype
- MeSH terms
- Abortion, Spontaneous, Adult, Aging, Endometrium, Female, Follicular Phase, Chorionic Gonadotropin, Humans, Ovulation Induction, Pregnancy, Retrospective Studies
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