PLASMA TESTOSTERONE AND ANDROSTENEDIONE LEVELS DURING MONITORED INDUCTION OF OVULATION IN INFERTILE WOMEN WITH ‘SIMPLE’ AMENORRHOEA AND WITH THE POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME

Abstract

Infertile patients (27) with simple amenorrhea-oligomenorrhea and 18 with the polycystic ovary (PCO) syndrome were treated for induction of ovulation with clomiphene, human menopausal gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin. The treatment was monitored by plasma estradiol, testosterone, androstenedione and progesterone estimation. Women with PCO had significantly higher plasma androgen levels than women with simple amenorrhea (P < 0.01 to P < 0.001) before treatment and during induction of ovulation. When ovulation was induced the pregnancy rate for women with the PCO syndrome with elevated androgens was 21%, while for those with uncomplicated amenorrhea it was 75%. High levels of circulating androgens might be a factor preventing conception in some patients in whom ovulation is apparently successfully induced.