The efficacy of intraovarian versus subcutaneous corifollitropin alfa administration in DuoStim protocol for infertile women with low in vitro fertilization response

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BACKGROUND AND AIM: Infertility in women, particularly those with a poor response to in vitro fertilization (IVF), poses significant challenges in reproductive medicine. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of intraovarian versus subcutaneous injection of corifollitropin alfa in the DuoStim protocol among infertile women exhibiting a poor response to IVF, with a specific focus on oocyte retrieval counts and quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 40 poorly responding infertile women were randomly assigned to two groups: 20 women received corifollitropin alfa via intraovarian injection, and 20 women received it via subcutaneous injection. Key demographic data, cycle duration, gonadotropin dosage, the number of oocytes retrieved, and oocyte quality (specifically Grade B oocytes) were assessed. RESULTS: Demographic analyses revealed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age (subcutaneous: 37.91 ± 6.11 years; intraovarian: 36.84 ± 5.42 years; p = 0.17) or weight (subcutaneous: 74.15 ± 10.51 kg; intraovarian: 78.24 ± 13.22 kg; p = 0.42). The number of oocytes retrieved during both phases did not significantly differ, but the intraovarian group yielded a notably higher number of Grade B oocytes during the follicular phase (p = 0.02). No significant differences were observed in cycle duration (p > 0.05) or the final dose of gonadotropins administered (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study revealed that intraovarian injection of corifollitropin alfa may enhance the quality of oocytes retrieved, particularly Grade B oocytes, in women with poor response to IVF under the DuoStim protocol, while both methods exhibited similar outcomes in terms of demographic factors, cycle duration, and gonadotropin dosage.