Objective:

To evaluate the results of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle outcomes in women whose borderline basal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were between 10.0 and 11.9 IU/L and to analyze the predictors of pregnancy in this population.

Material and Methods:

A prospective cohort study was performed at an academic teaching hospital; participants were infertile couples in which the women were undergoing IVF treatment and had borderline basal highest FSH levels between 10.0 and 11.9 IU/L. Statistical modeling was performed to determine risk factors for pregnancy and clinical pregnancy.

Results:

A clinical pregnancy rate of 26.5% per cycle and 35% per patient was found in the study population. Among all subjects and non-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) subjects, younger age, higher gravidity, higher number of mature follicles on day of Human Chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) triggering, higher number of oocytes retrieved, and number of embryos produced were significant discriminators between individuals who conceived and those who did not. However, only the number of embryos predicted those who had a clinical pregnancy when compared with those who did not. Higher gravidity, and basal estradiol (E2) levels, and lower maximum basal FSH levels predicted clinical pregnancy in non-ICSI patients. Among ICSI patients, the only predictor of pregnancy was a thicker endometrium. A trend towards higher pregnancy rates was noted in ICSI patients.

Conclusion:

We showed that pregnancy rates per cycle and per patient in this population were not significantly different than those in patients with a basal FSH level below 10.0 IU/L. Preliminary evidence suggests that ICSI is the fertilization method of choice in these patients.

Keywords: FSH 10-12 IU/L, borderline ovarian reserve, IVF, ICSI, statistical modeling