Clomiphene citrate versus recombinant FSH in intrauterine insemination cycles with mono-or bi-follicular development

Abstract

Objective: The present study aims to assess the success of controlled ovarian stimulation in intrauterine insemination cycles stimulated by recombinant-FSH and Clomiphene citrate for either mono-or bi-follicular development. Methods: We assessed 870 infertile patients treated with controlled ovarian stimulation in intrauterine insemination cycles at a university-based infertility clinic between January 2012 and December 2017. We compared the cycles stimulated by clomiphene citrate and recombinant-FSH in two set-ups; mono-and bi-follicular development. The main outcome measure was the clinical pregnancy rate per cycle. Results: The demographic and cycle parameters were similar between the groups, except for endometrial thickness on the day of hCG administration, which was higher in the recombinant-FSH group than the clomiphene citrate group. The overall clinical pregnancy rates in clomiphene citrate and recombinant-FSH groups were 9.8% and 10.3%, respectively (p=0.940). Regarding the entire cohort, clinical pregnancy was significantly higher in cases of bi-follicular development when compared to monofollicular development (16.8% vs. 10.2%, respectively; p=0.009). Conclusions: Clomiphene citrate and recombinantFSH have similar success rates in terms of clinical pregnancy, in either mono-follicular development or bi-follicular development. Clomiphene citrate and recombinant-FSH cycles resulted in comparable rates of bifollicular development, which significantly increases clinical pregnancy rate. Clomiphene citrate and recombinant-FSH have similar success rates in terms of clinical pregnancy, in either mono-follicular development or bi-follicular development.