This study investigated the relationships between ovarian endometrioma size, ovarian responsiveness and the number of retrieved oocytes following ovarian stimulation. A prospective study was conducted in a public clinical assisted reproduction centre. A total of 64 infertile women with monolateral endometriomas undergoing IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection were included in the study. The total number of follicles, number of follicles ≥ 16 mm and number of oocytes retrieved of ovaries containing endometrioma and normal ovaries were compared. Multivariate linear regression was used to assess whether number of follicles and collected oocytes varied by endometrioma size, age, basal FSH concentration. Significantly lower numbers of follicles ≥ 16 mm (P = 0.024) and oocytes retrieved (P = 0.001) in the ovaries containing endometrioma were observed. In patients with endometriomas ≥ 30 mm, endometrioma size was the most influential contributor to the total number of follicles and oocytes retrieved. Ovarian endometriomas result in reduced response to ovarian stimulation, compared with the response of the contralateral normal ovary in the same individual. In case of endometriomas <30 mm, basal FSH concentration remains the most important prognostic factor for oocyte retrieval.

Controlled ovarian stimulation (COH) in PCOS is a challenge for fertility expert both ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and oocytes immaturity are the two major complication. Ovarian response to COH vary widely among POCS patients and while some patients are more likely to show resistance to COH, other experienced an exaggerated response. The aim of our study is to investigate a possible correlation between PCOS phenotypes and the variety of ovarian response to COH and ART outcomes in patients with different PCOS phenotypes. We retrospectively analyzed a total of 71 cycles performed in 44 PCOS infertile patients attending ART at Centre of Infertility and Assisted Reproduction of Pisa University between January 2013 and January 2016. Patientsundergoing IVF with GnRH-antagonist protocol and 150-225 UI/days of recombinant FSH; triggering was carried out using 250 mg of recombinant hCG or a GnRH analogous on the basis of the risk to OHSS. We observed that Phenotype B had a tendency to have a greater doses of gonadotropins used respect to all phenotypes. Phenotype A group showed a greater serum estrogen levels compared to all phenotypes groups, a greater number of follicles of diameter between 8-12 mm found by ultrasound on the day of triggering and a greater mean number of freeze embryo. Additionally serum AMH and antral follicles count (AFC) follow the same trend in the different phenotypes ad they were significantly higher in phenotype A and in phenotype D. In conclusion this study shows that the features of PCOS phenotypes reflect the variety of ovarian response to COH as well as the risks to develop OHSS. Serum AMH and AFC are related to the degree of ovulatory dysfunction making these 'added values' in identifying the different PCOS phenotypes. Phenotype A seems to be the phenotype with the higher risk to develop OHSS and the use of GnRH as a trigger seems to improve oocyte quality. To classify PCOS phenotype at diagnosis might help clinicians to identify patients at greater risk of OHSS, customize therapy and subsequently plan the trigger agent.

The improvement of reproductive parameters after DHEA supplementation in poor responders may be explained through the effect that this pro-hormone exerts on follicular microenvironment.

Progress in recent years in the efficacy of oncologic treatment and early diagnosis of cancer has determined an increase in life expectance in cancer patients. About 10% of all cancer cases affect women younger than 45 years; therefore nowadays approximately 5-6% of the population in childbearing age consists in cancer survivors. A crucial issue is the high risk of premature ovarian insufficiency due to possible gonadotoxic effects of oncologic treatments. Considering combined chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and bone marrow transplantation, this risk can reach 92-100%, depending on the age and ovarian reserve of the patient, as well as the schedule and type of therapy. International guidelines recommend addressing all the patients diagnosed with a neoplasia treatable with potentially gonadotoxic therapies to fertility preservation. Moreover, fertility preservation also seems to reserve fascinating implications for women who want to delay childbearing for social reasons or women affected with endometriosis, who could receive unexpected opportunities. At present, the most widespread techniques to preserve fertility in adult women are embryo or oocyte cryopreservation, depending on the presence of a partner or according to legislative issues, but these procedures require time for ovarian stimulation. In prepubertal patients or when there is no possibility of delaying chemotherapy, ovarian tissue cryopreservation and subsequent transplantation represent the main strategy.

Introduction. Umbilical cord milking is a procedure in which clamped or unclamped umbilical cord is grasped, and blood is pushed (“stripped”) two to four times towards the newborn, in a rapid time frame, usually within 20 seconds. The target of umbilical cord milking is to provide infants with their whole potential blood volume—of which they are deprived when early cord clamping is carried out—completing placental transfusion in a shorter time than delayed cord clamping. The aim of this narrative review is to analyse the literature regarding umbilical cord milking in term and late-preterm infants and to assess all possible benefits and limits of this procedure in clinical practice, especially in comparison to immediate and delayed cord clamping.Methods. We analysed literature data concerning maternal, as well as neonatal, outcomes for term and late-preterm (gestational age ≥ 34 weeks) newborns who received umbilical cord milking.Results. Most studies show comparable benefits for both umbilical cord milking and delayed cord clamping, especially in terms of haematological parameters when compared to immediate cord clamping. Umbilical cord milking may be a feasible procedure also for newborns requiring resuscitation.Conclusions. Literature data concerning positive effects of umbilical cord milking are encouraging and suggest that umbilical cord milking may be a quick and effective method to provide placental transfusions to depressed infants. However, the lack of standardised procedures and the variation in evaluated outcomes as well as the limited number of patients enrolled in trials, along with the retrospective nature of some of them, prevent recommending umbilical cord milking as a routine procedure.

Treatment with estrogens in infertile POI patients in transitional phase reduces circulating FSH levels, hence causing potential spontaneous conception. Moreover, in these patients, estrogen pre-treatment seems to improve IVF outcomes in a GnRH-antagonist short protocol compared to no pre-treatment.

Recently, studies on inositol supplementation during in vitro fertilization program (IVF) have gained particular importance due to the effect of this molecule on reducing insulin resistance improving ovarian function, oocyte quality, and embryo and pregnancy rates and reducing gonadotropin amount during stimulation. Inositol and its isoforms, especially myoinositol (MYO), are often used as prestimulation therapy in infertile patients undergoing IVF cycle. Inositol supplementation started three months before ovarian stimulation, resulting in significant improvements in hormonal responses, reducing the amount of FSH necessary for optimal follicle development and serum levels of 17beta-estradiol measured the day of hCG injection. As shown by growing number of trials, MYO supplementation improves oocyte quality by reducing the number of degenerated and immature oocytes, in this way increasing the quality of embryos produced. Inositol can also improve the quality of sperm parameters in those patients affected by oligoasthenoteratozoospermia.

The employment of ICSI in the absence of a male factor can reduce reproductive outcome in poor responder. Probably because of aging-related defects overcoming the advantage of sperm selection, the choice of IVF technique is not relevant to reproductive success when oocyte quality is compromised by reproductive aging. Although further randomized trials are needed to confirm our results, we propose that, in absence of male infertility, conventional IVF might be the technique of choice in young patients, especially in those aged below 35 years.