Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026

Fertility Preservation Through Oocyte Vitrification: Clinical and Laboratory Perspectives
Published on: September 16, 2021
Idiopathic premature ovarian failure: what is the most suitable ovarian stimulation protocol?
1Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Objective:
To evaluate the ovarian response to ovarian stimulation in women with idiopathic premature ovarian failure (POF) in a prospective, controlled, and sequential crossover pilot study.
Materials And Methods:
Ten women with idiopathic premature ovarian failure and normal karyotype were included in the study. Phase I was comprised of three consecutive control cycles consisting each of estrogen progestin sequential therapy. Phase II was comprised of three consecutive treatment cycles combining the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) in the background of estrogen priming, followed by gonadotropin ovarian stimulation and corticosteroid immunosuppression.
Results:
Ovulation rates in the treatment cycles (0/10; 0%) did not differ from control cycles (0/10; 0%).
Conclusions:
The findings of this pilot study showed that the combination of estrogen priming, corticosteroid immune-suppression, GnRHa pituitary desensitization, and followed by gonadotropin ovarian stimulation is ineffective in restoring ovarian function in women with idiopathic POF.
Related Concept Videos
Oogenesis
Hormonal Control of the Ovarian Cycle
Before puberty, the hypothalamus releases GnRH in a low frequency, low amplitude pulsatile manner. This along with the immature hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity, results in low estrogen levels and the absence of a fully functional ovarian cycle. At puberty, GnRH secretion increases in both frequency and...

