Epimestrol in treatment of inadequate luteal progesterone secretion.

Seventeen infertile normoprolactinemic women with luteal phase defects were treated with epimestrol. In ten patients, normalization of the impaired luteal phase was achieved. Under epimestrol treatment, periovulatory estradiol concentrations (1077.3 +/- 121.5 pmoles/liter versus 612.7 +/- 64.2 pmoles/liter; mean +/- SEM; P < 0.01) and cervical scores (10.8 +/- 0.3 versus 7.9 +/- 0.38; mean +/- SEM; P < 0.01) were improved, and luteal progesterone (60.0 +/- 9.1 nmoles/liter versus 19.98 +/- 3.14 nmoles/liter; mean +/- SEM; P < 0.001) and estradiol secretioon (813.1 +/- 101.1 pmoles/liter versus 581.9 +/- 73.7 pmoles/liter; mean +/- SEM; P < 0.05) were significantly increased in those women with normalization of the luteal phase as compared with the seven patients in whom epimesterol was without effect. Prolactin levels were elevated in all patients after epimestrol therapy (P < 0.05). Basal LH levels and LH-RH stimulated levels improved following administration of epimestrol (P < 0.01) in the 10 women with normal luteal phases. FSH levels were not significantly affected. Two patients became pregnant. No side effects were noted.