Abstract
Two hundred eighty-four hysteroscopies were performed in 312 (91%) candidates for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) who were divided into two groups. Group I consisted of elderly women over 40 years, and group II of women below this age. Although visualization revealed uterine abnormalities in 29.9% of all patients, abnormal findings were significantly increased in the former group in comparison to the latter (P<0.001). This difference was attributed mainly to uterine rather than cervical pathology. Furthermore, in elderly women agerelated uterine pathology such as submucous myomata, endometrial hyperplasia, and polyps were more prominent, while in younger patients other uterine lesions such as adhesions and tubal ostia occlusion were more common. Moreover, treatment prior to IVF-ET resulted in 7 clinical pregnancies (8.9%) in group I and in 41 clinical pregnancies (19.9%) in group II, all of which failed in one to three cycles previously. It seems that hysteroscopic evaluation may reduce the IVF-ET failure rate due to intrauterine abnormalities in elderly as well as young patients, thus it becomes an absolute prerequisite for all patients scheduled for an IVF program.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
March CM: Hysteroscopy as an aid to diagnosis in female infertility. Clin Obstet Gynecol 1983;26:302–309
Valle RF: Hysteroscopy in the evaluation of female infertility. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1980;137:425–431
Buttram VC, Reiter RC: Uterine leiomyomata etiology, symptomatology and management. Fertil Steril 1981;36:433–440
Gindoff PR, Jewelewicz R: Reproductive potential in the older woman. Fertil Steril 1986;46:989–1001
Gosden RG: Maternal age: A major factor affecting the prospects and outcome of pregnancy. Ann NY Acad Sci 1984;442:45–57
Sweeney WJ: Accuracy of preoperative hysterosalpingograms. Obstet Gynecol 1958;2:640–645
Asherman JG: Traumatic intrauterine adhesions. Br J Obstet Gynecol 1950;57:892–897
Zondek B, Rozin S: Filling defects in the hysterogram simulating I.U. synechiae which disappear after denervation. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1964;88:123–129
Hamou J: Microhysteroscopy. Clin Obstet Gynecol 1983;26:277–281
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dicker, D., Goldman, J.A., Ashkenazi, J. et al. The value of hysteroscopy in elderly women prior to in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET): A comparative study. J Assist Reprod Genet 7, 267–270 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01129532
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01129532