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Aim: The correct diagnosis of the functional capacity of human sperm is limited. The Sperm Quality Analyzer (SQA) with the visualization system (SQA V, Medical Electronic System, Hatavorzo, Israel), an upgraded version of SQA, was recently developed to provide a rapid and low‐cost quantitative evaluation of sperm quality as well as sperm velocity assessment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the SQA V's new parameters correlate with computer‐aided sperm analysis (CASA) estimates.

Aim : This study was carried out to establish criteria for the elective transfer of two good‐quality embryos to reduce high‐order multiple pregnancy rates. The pregnancy and multiple pregnancy rates per transfer were retrospectively analyzed in 128 in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF‐ET) cycles.

Aim : Our aim was to investigate the role of endometrial thickness and pattern in the pregnancy rate during an in vitro fertilization‐embryo transfer (IVF‐ET) cycle.

There is a need to improve our understanding of the cut-off value of the direct immunobead test (D-IBT).The subjects were 26 D-IBT-positive and 140 D-IBT-negative males. The results of post coital tests (PCTs) for each subject were examined.A significant difference was observed in abnormal PCTs between values20 % and those ≥20 % (A cut-off value of 20 % was correlated with the possibility of conception on treatment with IUI. The D-IBT is a screening test, and the value of 20 % initially suggested by Bronson et al. seems to be more appropriate than that of 50 % in the criteria defined by the World Health Organization.

Aims It has been shown that supplementation of patients’ sera that contains sperm-immobilizing antibodies results in failure of fertilization and embryo developmentin vitro. The present study was carried out to investigate if exposing retrieved eggs to a high number of sperm-immobilizing antibodies in the follicular fluid (FF)in vivo affected subsequent fertilization and embryo developmentin vitro, even if they were washed with an antibody-free culture medium.

It is well known that Chlamydia trachomatis causes acute and chronic pelvic inflammatory disease including salpingitis. We describe a case of successful pregnancy following conservative treatment of massive ascites associated with acute Chlamydia trachomatis peritonitis. In this present case, we conservatively treated a woman with acute chlamydial salpingitis accompanied with marked ascites and an adnexal mass that simulated a malignant neoplasm. Elevated CA125 and CA19-9 also suggested a malignancy at the time of diagnosis, however following treatment they decreased to below the cut-off value, and were useful in identifying the efficacy of medical treatment. The patient subsequently became pregnant after infertility treatment and underwent a normal vaginal delivery. We conclude that the possibility of Chlamydia trachomatis peritonitis should be considered when a patient presents with ascites and an adnexal mass in sexually active women.

Aim The correct diagnosis of the functional capacity of human sperm is limited. The Sperm Quality Analyzer (SQA) with the visualization system (SQA V, Medical Electronic System, Hatavorzo, Israel), an upgraded version of SQA, was recently developed to provide a rapid and low-cost quantitative evaluation of sperm quality as well as sperm velocity assessment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the SQA V’s new parameters correlate with computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) estimates.

Since transvaginal hydrolaparoscopy (THL) was introduced as the first-line procedure in the early stage of the exploration of the tubo-ovarian structures in infertile women, it has been shown that THL is a less traumatic and a more suitable outpatient procedure than diagnostic laparoscopy. In the present study, a minimally invasive surgery was carried out in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by THL. Ovarian drilling using Nd:YAG laser vaporization by THL was performed in two clomiphen citrate-resistant infertile women with PCOS. After ovarian drilling with THL, a patient recovered an ovulatory cycle. These findings suggest that ovarian drilling by THL seems to be a safe procedure in infertile women with PCOS. However, further investigations are required to evaluate the effectiveness and risks of this minimally invasive operation. (Reprod Med Biol 2003; 2: 37-40).

Our aim was to investigate the role of endometrial thickness and pattern in the pregnancy rate during anin vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycle. Records of patients who underwent IVF-ET at the Jichi Medical School Hospital during May 1995-December 1999 were evaluated retrospectively. Only cycles, in which endometrial thickness and pattern on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration were recorded, were analyzed in this study. Endometrial thickness was divided into three categories (A: 14 mm), and endometrial pattern was divided into two categories: triple line and non-triple line. A total of 156 IVF-ET cycles from 120 patients was evaluated. There were no significant differences for both the endometrial thickness and pattern in the pregnancy rate during the IVF-ET cycle (P > 0.05). Among the study groups, the tripleline endometrial pattern was found to be 58.7% in group A, 84.0% in group B and 70% in group C. We found that in the triple-line endometrial pattern, there was a significant difference between group A and group B (P < 0.01). Tripleline endometrial pattern appeared significantly in younger women (33 ± 5.4 years) than in non-triple-line endometrial pattern (36 ± 5.2 years;P = 0.047). The minimum and maximum endometrial thickness where pregnancy occurred was 6.5 mm (two pregnancies) and 19 mm (one pregnancy), respectively. Endometrial thickness and pattern have no influence on the pregnancy rates in an IVF-ET cycle, but patients with triple-line endometrial pattern and group B endometrial thickness showed a better pregnancy outcome in the IVF-ET treatment.

This study was carried out to establish criteria for the elective transfer of two good-quality embryos to reduce high-order multiple pregnancy rates. The pregnancy and multiple pregnancy rates per transfer were retrospectively analyzed in 128in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles. The analysis revealed that the pregnancy and multiple pregnancy rates were 26.6% (34 of 128) and 23.5% (eight of 34), respectively. Five twin and three triplet pregnancies were included. The pregnancy rates in women 29 years old and younger, 30–34 years, 35–39 years, and 40 years and older were 21.2 (seven of 33), 37.0 (17 of 46), 25.8 (eight of 31), and 11.1% (two of 18), respectively. There was a significant difference of the pregnancy rates between 30 and 34-year-old and 40-year-old and older women (P < 0.05). The multiple-pregnancy rate in women 40 years and older was 0%. Three triplet pregnancies were established only in the first attempt of IVF-ET. The pregnancy rates in women, to whom good-quality embryos (0–4) were transferred, were 0% (none of 12) for 0, 17.2% (five of 29) for one, 41.2% (seven of 17) for two, 30.8% (12 of 39) for three, and 32.3% (10 of 31) for four and more embryos, respectively. The multiple pregnancy rates in women who had good-quality embryos of one, two, three, and four and more transferred were 0% (none of five), 23.5% (four of seven), 16.7% (two of 12), and 20.0% (two of 10), respectively. The criteria for the elective transfer of two good-quality embryos were established as follows: age < 40 years, a first treatment cycle, and more than three good-quality embryos available for transfer. After the application of the established criteria, the overall pregnancy and multiple pregnancy rates were 30.4% (14 of 46) and 14.3% (two of 14), respectively, which was satisfactory as compared with those in the 128 IVF-ET cycles before application of the criteria. An elective transfer of two good-quality embryos can be highly recommended to avoid high-order multiple pregnancies in subjects with the established criteria.