Results of human menopausal gonadotropin therapy at the Boston Hospital for Women (1979-1981).

To evaluate our results with induction of ovulation with human menopausal gonadotropins, we reviewed our experience from 1979 to 1981. Twenty-two women and 89 treatment cycles were evaluated. The patients were assigned to group 1 (amenorrhea, low FSH and LH, and no evidence of endogenous estrogens, as indicated by lack of withdrawal bleeding after medroxyprogesterone acetate) or group 2 (amenorrhea, with normal gonadotropins and evidence of endogenous estrogens by progestin withdrawal bleeding). Three patients underwent HMG therapy for inadequate luteal phase; none of them became pregnant. All patients from group 1 became pregnant (8/8), and 45% (5/11) of patients from group 2 became pregnant. The difference in pregnancy rates is significant (P less than .05). The cumulative pregnancy rate for each group was calculated by the life table method. All the cases of multiple gestation (three) came from group 1, and all the cases of ovarian hyperstimulation (five) came from group 2. In summary, in our experience patients from group 1 had a higher pregnancy rate and a greater incidence of multiple gestation than patients in group 2, who had a greater chance of developing ovarian hyperstimulation.