Follicular phase treatment of luteal phase defect with follicle-stimulating hormone in infertile women

Fifteen infertile women diagnosed by endometrial dating to have a luteal phase defect were treated with human pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone (hFSH) for 45 cycles. Human follicle-stimulating hormone was administered intramuscularly in a dose of 50 IU/day (group 1) for 35 cycles and 100 IU/day (group 2) for ten cycles from either the third or fifth day of the cycle for five days. Plasma estrogen was measured daily during drug injection. Plasma progesterone was measured on the fourth, seventh, and tenth days after ovulation by basal body temperature during 11 pretreatment control cycles and 39 treatment cycles. Endometrial biopsies were performed on the seventh day after ovulation. The daily estrogen levels increased gradually during hFSH treatment. There was no significant difference between the two dosage groups. The mean progesterone levels were: 1) significantly (P less than .02) greater in the treatment cycles than in the control cycles, 2) significantly (P less than .05) greater in the pregnancy cycles than in the nonpregnancy cycles, 3) significantly (P less than .01) greater in the cycles with normal endometrial dating than in the cycles with abnormal endometrial dating after treatment, and 4) significantly (P less than .05) greater in group 1 than in group 2. After treatment, the endometrial biopsy specimens were improved to normal in 20 of 38 cycles. Five patients became pregnant during the treatment. The authors have concluded that hFSH may be useful in treatment of luteal phase defect.