Daily Discussion: Polycystic Ovaries and Treatment

Polycystic ovaries are a common finding in the IVF world and the dosage of gonadotropins used to treat this must be carefully managed in order to avoid hyper-stimulation and its consequence.  In the IUI scenario Tamoxifen, an anti-oestrogen, can be successfully used in conjunction with alternate day FSH, to allow a sufficient sustainable response to produce one viable egg. 

In certain “at risk” IVF patients, this approach can also be used but perhaps with a higher daily dose of gonadotropins (75 IU daily) to gain a suitable oestrogen level with lower egg numbers, for a fresh transfer. 

We discussed this this scenario today at our daily medical meeting, and we hope our findings will prove fruitful for the patient in question.

By Dr Kevin Marron