PURPOSE: to compare pregnancy rates and mean endometrial thickness obtained with three protocols for induction of ovulation in cycles of intrauterine insemination (IUI). METHODS: one hundred and ten IUI cycles were retrospectively evaluated in the study, divided into three groups, according to the used ovulation induction protocols: 100 mg clomiphene citrate (CC) on days 3 to 7 of the cycle (CC group, n=24), 100 mg/day CC on days 3 to 7 of the cycle + 75 IU/day of human menopausal gonadotrophin (hMG) on days 3, 5 and 7 of the cycle (CC+hMG group, n=29), and 75 IU/day of hMG on days 3 to 8 of the cycle (hMG group, n=57). Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t test to compare the means and the c² test to compare the rates. Results were considered statistically significant at p<0.05. RESULTS: the patients' average age at the onset of the first cycle was 2340 years (mean age, 33.3 years). There were no statistically significant differences between groups. The mean endometrial thickness on the day of the human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) administration was significantly higher in the hMG group (10.2±0.2 mm), as compared with the CC and CC+hMG group (7.9±0.4 and 8.7±0.2 mm, respectively, p<0.001). The overall clinical pregnancy rate was 18.2%, and there were no statistically significant differences between the groups (CC group=12.5%; CC+hMG group=24.1% and hMG group=19.3%). CONCLUSION: the results indicate higher mean endometrial thickness in the hMG group as compared with the CC group and the CC+hMG group. There were no significant differences between clinical pregnancy rates obtained with each protocol (CC, CC+hMG and hMG).
Intrauterine insemination; Ovulation induction; Endometrial thickness
