Increased endometrial thickness on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin injection does not adversely affect pregnancy or implantation rates following in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer

Objectives: To investigate the controversy whether an increased endometrial thickness has an effect on pregnancy, implantation, or abortion rates in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles. Design: Retrospective analysis. Setting: A university-babed IVF center. Patient(s): Five hundred seventy women under the age of 40. Intervention(s): Measurements of endometrial thickness on day of human chorionic gonadotropin hCG) administration. Cycles were compared by endometrial thickness of less than or equal to14 mm in 510 women to a thickness of >14 mm in 60 women. Main Outcome Measure(s): Implantation, pregnancy, and abortion rates. Result(s): Implantation, pregnancy, and abortion rates were similar in each roup. In cycles where the endometrial thickness was :514 mm, the rates were 20.9%,, 43.1%, and 11.8%, compared with 25.5%, 48.3%, and 13.8% in cycles > 14 mm. Conclusion(s): No adverse effects of a thickened endometrium were demonstrated on implantation, pregnancy, or abortion rates in the first IVF-ET cycle. These findings fail to corroborate with those of Weissman et al. (34) and support those of Yakin et al. (35). (C) 2002 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.