Mild endometriosis and ovulatory dysfunction: effect of danazol treatment on success of ovulation induction

• Published in: Fertility and sterility Vol. 46; no. 5; pp. 784 - 789
• Main Authors: Dmowski, W.Paul, Radwanska, Ewa, Binor, Zvi, Rana, Nasiruddin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.11.1986; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Anovulation - etiology; Biological and medical sciences; Clomiphene - pharmacology; Danazol - therapeutic use; Endometriosis - complications; Endometriosis - drug therapy; Female; Genital system. Reproduction; Humans; Medical sciences; Menotropins - pharmacology; Ovarian Diseases - etiology; Ovulation Induction; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pregnadienes - therapeutic use; Human; Anovulation; Menstruation disorders; Induction; Endometriosis; Female sterility; Clomifene; Ovulation; Biological activity; Danazol; Female genital diseases; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Sex steroid hormone
• ISSN: 0015-0282; 1556-5653
• DOI: 10.1016/S0015-0282(16)49811-0

The effectiveness of ovulation induction with clomiphene citrate or human menopausal gonadotropins was evaluated in 52 infertile women with stage I or stage II endometriosis and ovulatory dysfunction: anovulation or luteinized unruptured follicle (LUF) syndrome before (group I) and after (group II) danazol treatment. The incidence of anovulation and LUF in the endometriosis population was 9% and 34%, respectively. In group I, 10 of 36 patients (27.8%) conceived, with an average of 17.6 induction cycles per pregnancy. In group II, 21 of 30 patients (70%) conceived, with an average of 4.5 cycles per pregnancy (difference significant at P < 0.001). There was no difference in the average number of ovulation induction cycles per patient between groups I and II (4.9 and 3.1, respectively). Of 14 patients who did not conceive in group I and crossed over to group II, 9 (64.3%) conceived (not different from group II). Spontaneous abortion rates were 20% in group I and 14% in group II. These results indicate that mild endometriosis may interfere with conception through mechanisms other than ovulatory dysfunction and that treatment with danazol appears to more than double the fertility rate.