Intravenous pulsatile administration of gonadotrophins in an in-vitro fertilization programme

A group of 70 patients with 181 previously failed cycles of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) (including intra-muscular administration of gonadotrophins) achieved ongoing pregnancy rates of 29.3% per started cycle when gonadotrophins were administered intravenously in a pulsatile fashion, during suppression with a gonadotrophin releasing hormone analogue. The ongoing pregnancy rates of 175 patients treated with gonadotrophins intramuscularly and who also had at least one previous failed IVF cycle and who were treated during the same period in the same IVF programme was 15.6% per started cycle. This rate was significantly lower than that in the group treated intravenously.