Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T03:57:05.907Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

48B - Ultrasound Monitoring Is Not Required for Letrozole Treatment

Against

from Section IX - Hormones and the Environment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 November 2021

Roy Homburg
Affiliation:
Homerton University Hospital, London
Adam H. Balen
Affiliation:
Leeds Centre for Reproductive Medicine
Robert F. Casper
Affiliation:
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto
Get access

Summary

Since first reports in the literatures by Mitwally and Casper, along the last two decades, the aromatase inhibitor letrozole has been found as a useful and safe agent for ovulation induction in anovulatory women, e.g., PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), ovarian superovulation in ovulatory women, e.g., unexplained infertility, and in conjunction with gonadotropins to achieve better ovarian response during assisted reproduction (1-5). This debate discusses if ultrasound is ‘not’ required during letrozole treatment ‘alone’ as an agent for ovarian stimulation. I am against not using ultrasound monitoring during letrozole treatment. I think ultrasound is required in patients undergoing letrozole treatment, at two points: a baseline ultrasound when starting administration and a follow-up ultrasound few days after finishing letrozole administration. Ultrasound during letrozole treatment may be highly recommended, advisable and least required in the following situations: Highly recommended for safety when ruling out possible underlying pregnancy and ovarian cysts; Advisable to determine stimulation protocol, and response to letrozole treatment, as well as timing HCG administration and fertility treatment including timing intercourse and IUI; Least required to determine the risk of multiple pregnancy which is pretty low with letrozole treatment.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Mitwally, MF, Casper, RF. Aromatase inhibition: a novel method of ovulation induction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Reprod. Technol. 2000;10(5):244–7.Google Scholar
Mitwally, MFM, Casper, RF. Reprint of: use of an aromatase inhibitor for induction of ovulation in patients with an inadequate response to clomiphene citrate. Fertil Steril. 2019 Oct;112(4S1):e178–82. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.08.087.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diamond, MP, Mitwally, M, Casper, R, et al. Estimating rates of multiple gestation pregnancies: sample size calculation from the assessment of multiple intrauterine gestations from ovarian stimulation (AMIGOS) trial. Contemp Clin Trials. 2011 Nov;32(6):902–8. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2011.07.009.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mitwally, MF, Casper, RF. Single-dose administration of an aromatase inhibitor for ovarian stimulation. Fertil Steril. 2005 Jan;83(1):229–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mitwally, MF, Casper, RF. LH surge is associated with higher LH levels and more physiologic estradiol levels in aromatase inhibitor ovarian stimulation cycles. Fertil Steril. Sept 2004;82(Suppl 2):S144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×