Abstract
Purpose: Our purpose was to compare the diagnostic efficacy of laparoscopy between primary and secondary infertility and to define a subgroup in which the positive findings are low.
Methods: A retrospective review of the cases of 206 infertile women who underwent laparoscopy was conducted.
Results: Eighty-two (39.8%) patients were found to have evidence of pelvic disease—20 (22.2%) with primary infertility and 62 (54.3%) with secondary infertility. The ratio of positive findings in secondary infertility was significant in comparison with the positive findings in primary infertility. In only 3 of the 20 patients with primary infertility was there no history of an abdominal operation, pelvic inflammatory disease, or an abnormal hysterosalphingography. Of the 62 women who suffered secondary infertility and had positive findings in laparoscopy, 15 had no history of suspect findings.
Conclusions: The diagnostic yield of laparoscopy for primary infertility in the absence of indications of mechanical factors is low. Therefore the need for diagnostic laparoscopy in these cases should be reconsidered.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Speroff L, Glass RH, Kase NG: Investigation of the infertile couple. In Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility. Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins, 1989, pp 513-546
Glatstein IZ, Harlow BL, Hornstein MD: Practice patterns among reproductive endocrinologists: the infertility evaluation. Fertil Steril. 1997; 67:443-451
Brosens IA, Gordon AG: Tubal Infertility. London-New York, Gower Medical, 1989
Abdulrahman WE: Laparoscopic evaluation of apparently normal infertile women. Aust NZ Obstet Gynaecol 1994;34:440-442
Adelusi B, Al-Nuaim L: Accuracy of hysterosalpingography and laparoscopic hydrotubation in diagnosis of tubal patency. Fertil Steril 1995;63: 1016-1020
Goldenberg RL, Magendantz: Laparoscopy and the infertility evaluation. Obstet Gynecol 1976;47:410-414
Wood GP: Laparoscopic examination of the normal infertile woman. Obstet Gynecol 1983;62:642-643
Collins JA, Feeny D, Gunby J: The cost of infertility diagnosis and treatment in Canada in 1995. Hum Reprod 1997;12:951-958
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hovav, Y., Hornstein, E., Almagor, M. et al. Diagnostic Laparoscopy in Primary and Secondary Infertility. J Assist Reprod Genet 15, 535–537 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022578019260
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022578019260