Study, 1991
Does hormone treatment for infertility cause structural changes to the uterine lining?
In infertile women treated with hormones to trigger ovulation, about half of the uterine lining samples showed structural abnormalities that may affect pregnancy.
What they did
A study of infertile women receiving hormone injections (HMG and HCG) to trigger ovulation. Doctors removed a small sample of the uterine lining before menstruation and examined it under both a light microscope and an electron microscope for fine detail.
What they found
About half the samples looked normal. The other half showed various structural abnormalities. Even samples that appeared normal under the light microscope showed multiple changes under the electron microscope. One woman with a normal sample became pregnant but had an early miscarriage.
What it means for you
Structural problems with the uterine lining may prevent pregnancy in some infertile women. The study was small and conducted at one clinic only. Note: this study is about infertility, not premenstrual syndrome.
about half
Samples with structural abnormalities
About the study
- Original title
- Structure of premenstrual endometrium in HMG + HCG induced anovulatory women
- Authors
- Can A, Tekelioglu M, Biberoglu K
- Journal
- European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology
- Year
- 1991
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- HMG and HCG hormones
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0028-2243(91)90172-h