The corpus luteum in infertile patients found during laparoscopy.

A series of 407 infertile patients underwent luteal phase laparoscopy and endometrial biopsy as a part of their infertility workup. In 91% of the patients, a good correlation between the results of endometrial biopsy and those of laparoscopy was found. In 8% of the patients a secretory endometrium was found, but the laparoscopy did not show any luteal structures on the ovaries. Seventy-one percent of the patients had corpora lutea, but the stigma was only present in 17.5% of the series with secretory endometrium. Because of the stigma findings, only 326 patients with secretory endometrium were evaluated. The stigma was more frequently seen when laparoscopy was performed between day 17 and day 19 of the cycle. On the other hand, the stigma was also more frequently seen when laparoscopy was performed between 10 and 12 days before the actual onset of the next period. We conclude that the frequency of stigmata at the corpus luteum is a matter of the time in the cycle when laparoscopy is performed, and the particular cycle length of the patient should be considered.