Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

CLINICAL ASSISTED REPRODUCTION: Uterine Leiomyomas and Their Effect on In Vitro Fertilization Outcome: A Retrospective Study

  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose: The effect of uterine leiomyomas on the outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment has been controversial. This study was undertaken to clarify influence of fibroids on IVF success, in a large population with age and other potential confounding variables controlled for in the analysis.

Methods: A population of 141 patients with and 406 without leiomyomata undergoing their first IVF cycle was studied.

Results: The association between uterine leiomyomas and assisted reproduction treatment outcome was not statistically significant (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.49−1.19, p = 0.21) after controlling for age and other risk factors. Also, fibroids neither affected the risk of spontaneous abortion (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.44−2.60) nor the risk of ectopic pregnancy (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.08−8.02). Location of fibroids (intramural vs. submucosal/subserosal) and their size had no significant effect on pregnancy outcome.

Conclusions: Results from our analyses indicated that in vitro fertilization outcome was not affected by the presence of uterine leiomyomas. Therefore, in patients with normal uterine cavities and fibroids less than a certain size (i.e., <7 cm), undergoing myomectomies as a prerequisite for assisted reproduction treatment is seriously questionable.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Wallach EE, Zacur HA (eds): Reproductive Medicine and Surgery. St. Louis, Plenum Medical, 1995

  2. Hunt JE, Wallach EE: Uterine factor in infertility: An overview. Clin Obstet Gynecol 1974;17:44-64

    Google Scholar 

  3. Jacobson FN, Enzer N: Uterine myomas and endometrium. Obstet Gynecol 1956;7:206-210

    Google Scholar 

  4. Buttram VC, Reiter RC: Uterine leiomyomata: Etiology, symptomatology and management. Fertil Steril 1981;36:433-435

    Google Scholar 

  5. Vollenhoven BJ, Lawrence AS, Healy DL: Uterine fibroids: a clinical review. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1990;97:285-298

    Google Scholar 

  6. Farhi J, Ashkenazi J, Feldberg D, Dicker D, Ovieto R, Ben Rafael Z: Effect of uterine leiomyomata on the results of invitro fertilization treatment. Hum Reprod 1995;10:2576-2578

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ramzy AM, Sattar M, Amin Y, Mansoor RT, Seroor GI, Aboulghar MA: Uterine myomata and outcome of assisted reproduction. Hum Reprod 1998;13:198-202

    Google Scholar 

  8. Eldar-Geva T, Meagher S, Healy DL, MacLachlan V, Breheny S, Wood C: Effect of intramural, subserosal, and submucosal uterine fibroids on the outcome of assisted reproductive technology treatment. Fertil Steril 1998;70:687-691

    Google Scholar 

  9. Stovall DW, Parrish SB, VanVoorhis BJ, Hahn SJ, Sparks AET, Syrop CH: Uterine leiomyomata reduce the efficacy of assisted reproduction cycles: Results of a matched follow-up study. Hum Reprod 1998;13:192-197

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hosmer DW, Lemeshow S: Applied Logistic Regression. New York, JohnWiley & Sons, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  11. Rosner B: Fundamentals of Biostatistics. 4th Ed. Belmont, Wadsworth, 1995

    Google Scholar 

  12. Dubuisson JB, Chapron C, Chavet X, Gregorakis SS: Fertility after laparoscopic myomectomy of large intramural myomas: Preliminary results. Hum Reprod 1996;11:518-522

    Google Scholar 

  13. Rosenfeld DL: Abdominal myomectomy for otherwise unexplained infertility. Fertil Steril 1986;46:328-330

    Google Scholar 

  14. Brown AB, Chamberlain R, Telinde RW: Myomectomy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1956;71:759-763

    Google Scholar 

  15. Babaknia A, Rock JA, Jones HW: Pregnancy success following abdominal myomectomy for infertility. Fertil Steril 1978;30:644-647

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ranney B, Frederick I: The occasional need for myomectomy. Obstet Gynecol 1979;53:437-441

    Google Scholar 

  17. Seoud MA, Patterson R, Muasher SJ, Coddington CC: Effect of myomas or prior myomectomy on in vitro fertilization (IVF) performance. J Assist Reprod Genet 1992;9:655-658

    Google Scholar 

  18. Muram D, Gillieson M, Walters JH: Myomas of the uterus in pregnancy: Ultrasonographic follow-up. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1980;138:16-19

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

    Sunny H. Jun, Elizabeth S. Ginsburg, Catherine Racowsky, Lauren A. Wise & Mark D. Hornstein

Authors
  1. Sunny H. Jun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elizabeth S. Ginsburg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Catherine Racowsky
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Lauren A. Wise
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mark D. Hornstein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jun, S.H., Ginsburg, E.S., Racowsky, C. et al. CLINICAL ASSISTED REPRODUCTION: Uterine Leiomyomas and Their Effect on In Vitro Fertilization Outcome: A Retrospective Study. J Assist Reprod Genet 18, 139–143 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009403819377

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009403819377

Search

Navigation