Reproductive Endocrinology · Ovulation Physiology

Chemical induction of ovulation

Greenblatt RB

Published September 1961 Fertility and Sterility, 12, 402-404
DOI 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)34261-3 PMID 13708281
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RRM Academy Synopsis

Clomiphene's First Trial Showed It Could Trigger Ovulation

This 1961 study gave a new drug, chloramiphene (now called clomiphene), to 36 women with amenorrhea who were not ovulating. 28 of the 36 women began ovulating after treatment with the drug. Doctors confirmed ovulation with temperature charts, tissue tests, and timing of symptoms. No comparison group was used.

Key Findings

  • The study included 36 women with functional or secondary amenorrhea who were not having ovulatory cycles.
  • 28 of the 36 women developed ovulatory menstrual cycles after treatment, based on a sustained temperature shift, biopsy-confirmed secretory endometrium, and premenstrual symptoms.
  • The temperature shift that signals ovulation lasted 14 to 21 days in treated women, which the paper describes as longer than the usual 14-day luteal phase.
  • Hot flashes were common during treatment, and a persistent corpus luteum cyst sometimes occurred, more often with prolonged treatment.
  • The paper reported no comparison group and did not report whether any of the women became pregnant.

Interpretation

This is a small case series from one center. The study was not a randomized trial. The design had no comparison group. Doctors measured ovulation indirectly. They used temperature charts, tissue biopsies, and symptom timing. They did not report confirmed pregnancy or live birth. Every woman in the study already had diagnosed amenorrhea. The findings do not extend to other fertility problems. Without a comparison group, some women may have started ovulating on their own. The paper is a first clinical report. The report shows an effect was seen. The study does not show how large or lasting that effect is in a wider group.

RRM Context

This 1961 report introduced a drug later sold as clomiphene citrate. Doctors still prescribe it today to trigger ovulation in women who are not ovulating on their own. Restorative reproductive medicine treats the root cause of infertility. One part of that work can be correcting a lack of ovulation, found through cycle charting and hormone testing. IVF programs use related drugs for a different goal. They aim to produce many eggs for a lab procedure. Restoring a woman's own cycle is a different goal.

Abstract not indexed.

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By this author

Related research

Reproductive Endocrinology › Ovulation Physiology › Anovulation · Menstrual Cycle › Cycle Disorders › Ovulatory Disturbances · Therapeutics › Ovulation Agents › Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators
PMID 13708281 13708281 DOI 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)34261-3 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)34261-3 Greenblatt et al. 1961, Greenblatt 1961

Cite this article

Greenblatt, R. B. (1961). Chemical induction of ovulation. Fertility and Sterility, 12, 402-404. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0015-0282(16)34261-3