Advances in induction of ovulation

The emphasis of this review is placed on the treatment of clomiphene-resistant women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. There has been an increasing awareness of the need to avoid the consequences of multiple folliculogenesis, and this is reflected in the more widespread use of low-dose regimens for induction of ovulation, particularly in PCOS. The past 12 months have seen the first reports of the clinical applications of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and there is an intriguing suggestion that long-acting opiate agonists may have a part to play in the management of anovulation of hypothalamic origin.