[Prevention of complications of ovarian stimulation in in-vitro fertilization]

The ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome which is the most severe iatrogenic complication of ovulation induction, may range from mere abdominal discomfort to lethal thromboembolism. It is therefore, mandatory to be able to evaluate the risk of such complications. In in vitro fertilization treatment, maximal level and growth rate of oestradiol and also the number of oocytes retrieved, are significantly higher among patients who will develop an hyperstimulation syndrome than in a group of healthy controls. However, due to the large distribution of individual values, none of these variables can be predictive by itself. Only multiple discriminant analysis effected within the frame of a multicentric study might be able to define a specific and sensitive predictive function.