PREIMPLANTATION EMBRYO QUALITY IN PATIENTS WITH LOW OVARIAN RESERVE: STUDY OF 72 IVF/ICSI TREATMENT CYCLES

The current study presents and analyzes the results of retrospective and prospective quality assay of preimplantation embryos obtained from patients with low ovarian reserve. The study is carried out on 112 embryos originating from 72 patients with diminished ovarian reserve, who participated in a fertility treatment programme through in vitro fertilization from February 2011 until February 2014. Two thousand and seventy-three embryos derived from 347 patients with normal ovarian reserve were used as a control group. Patients with low and normal ovarian reserve showed a statistically significant difference regarding good quality embryos (G1 + G2) (44.65% and 63.67%, respectively) (p < 0:0001). No embryos with excellent quality - G1 were observed in patients with anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) levels <= 0.2 ng/ml. Percentages of good quality embryos differ statistically at values of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) < 10 mIU/ml (63.6%) and > 15 mIU/ml (29.0%). A statistically significant (p < 0:05) inverse linear relationship between age and percentage of good quality embryos was observed in patients with low ovarian reserve. Critical values, at which the morphological characteristics of embryos are noticeably aggravated, are AMH < 0:2 ng/ml and FSH > 15 mIU/ml. The embryos obtained after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) with low doses of gonadotropic hormones show the best quality.