CASE REPORT   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana - Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2019 July-August;178(7-8):580-7

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-3660.18.03873-1

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Luteal phase stimulation and fertility: first outcomes

Luis M. CAMPOS OLMEDO ¹, Miguel de Jesus LÓPEZ RIOJA ², Cristina M. SÁNCHEZ GONZÁLEZ ¹, Paula N. ZAVALA GONZÁLEZ ¹, Yesenia RECIO LÓPEZ ² ✉, Alejandro CHÁVEZ BADIOLA ¹

¹ New Hope Fertility Center, Mexico City, Mexico; ² New Hope Fertility Center, Guadalajara, Mexico

During the menstrual cycle, ovarian follicles show dynamic morphologic and endocrine changes. Traditionally, folliculogenesis has been described to begin at the luteal phase with follicular recruitment, afterwards during the early follicular phase; a dominant follicle is selected while the rest undergo atresia. However, recent studies suggest that small antral follicles remain during the luteal phase, which do not undergo atresia and thus, are still capable of ovulating and can even result in pregnancy. These findings offer new possibilities for ovarian stimulation in selected cases. Ovarian stimulation not started at the early follicular phase, (unconventional stimulation), may offer advantages against traditional protocols, such as flexibility to initiate stimulation at any given moment during the menstrual cycle. Suitable for oncology patients aiming to preserve fertility and a higher yield of oocytes retrieved per started cycle, which could be particularly attractive in patients with an initial poor ovarian response. The efficacy of the luteal phase stimulation protocols is promising compared to single-stimulation protocols. To our knowledge, we report the first series of cases of unconventional stimulation (luteal phase) in Mexico and Latin America.

KEY WORDS: Luteal phase; Ovulation induction; Female fertility agents