Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of transdermal testosterone as an
adjuvant to the standard IVF protocol to improve outcomes in women with
diminished ovarian reserve (DOR).
Background: Women with DOR have extremely low pregnancy rates
after IVF cycles, and there are currently few treatment options available.
Testosterone supplementation may improve ovarian response to stimulation via
enhanced folliculogenesis.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed
83 IVF cycles based on inclusion criteria of age < 42 and
diagnosis of DOR (basal FSH > 10, AMH < 1, antral follicle
count < 6, or history of poor response [< 4 follicles]). Cycles in
the control group were carried out using the standard IVF protocol while
cycles in the treatment group involved the addition of transdermal testosterone
prior to ovarian stimulation. Four primary outcomes were evaluated: total
number of oocytes retrieved, number of mature oocytes retrieved, number of
embryos generated, and pregnancy potential of the embryos.
Results: Pretreatment with transdermal testosterone had no
impact on the total number of eggs retrieved after ovarian stimulation.
Testosterone had a negative impact of the number of mature oocytes retrieved,
but had no impact on the number of embryos generated from those oocytes.
Pregnancy rates between the treatment and control groups were no different per
embryo transfer, but were lower per cycle initiation with testosterone therapy.
Discussions: Within this study population, retrospective analysis of
testosterone therapy revealed no improvement in IVF outcomes. A randomized
controlled trial is recommended to further investigate this association.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2019, Student, Resident, Faculty, Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, GME, CME, Problem-Based Learning, Team-Based Learning, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility,
Erin Ahart,
BA, University
of Kansas School of Medicine; Matthew
Goering, PhD,
HCLD; Courtney Marsh, MD, MPH
