Chromosome analysis of human oocytes failing to fertilize in vitro

To assess the contribution of chromosome anomalies to the high failure of in vitro fertilization (IVF), 94 unfertilized eggs from 43 women participating in the IVF program were cytogenetically investigated. The mean age of the oocyte donors was 33.6 years. Chromosome karyotypes were obtained in 65 of 94 oocytes: 34 oocytes (52.3%) had a normal haploid chromosome complement; 10 (15.4%) were hypohaploid; 7 (10.8%) were hyperhaploid; 8 were diploid; and 6 were hypodiploid or hyperdiploid (from 36 to 53). Eleven eggs showed prematurely condensed chromosomes of the G1-phase from sperm, as well as a set of maternal metaphase II chromosomes. These results are compared to similar reports in the literature.