Reproductive outcomes of IVF patients with unicornuate uteri

Abstract

In this retrospective observational study, the pregnancy, perinatal and obstetric outcomes of patients diagnosed with unicornuate uteri were compared with those of patients with normal uteri after undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with fresh and cryopreserved embryo transfer. From a select population of 9676 infertile patients receiving IVF treatment, 75 (0.78%) were diagnosed with unicornuate uteri between January 2009 and December 2015. Fifty of them underwent ICSI treatment, with 90 fresh and cryopreserved embryo transfers. No significant differences were found between the biochemical, clinical and implantation rates of the first treatment cycles of the two groups; the ongoing pregnancy rate was significantly lower (P = 0.042; 34.0 versus 53.0%) in the unicornis group, as the result of a clinically higher clinical pregnancy loss rates (22.0 versus 15.9%). Twenty-three clinical pregnancies resulted from the 50 first treatment cycles in the unicornis group, resulting in 14 live births, one ongoing pregnancy, five miscarriages, one ectopic pregnancy and two terminations. The 14 live births were delivered at 35.9 gestational weeks, with seven preterm (<37 weeks) and four low birth weight deliveries. Patients with unicornuate uteri are at increased risk of miscarriage, preterm delivery, low birth weight delivery and reduced live birth rates.

Keywords: IVF; Live birth; Obstetric care; Pregnancy; Unicornuate uterus.