[Cytogenetics of unfertilized or uncleaved oocytes within the scope of in vitro fertilization: correlation with maternal age].

A cytogenetic analysis could be performed on 343 out of 566 oocytes, which remained unfertilized or uncleaved during our IVF programme. The results were analysed with relation to the women's age by classifying the patients into two age groups (< or = 35 years and > 35 years). There was no significant difference for the corresponding total rates of abnormal oocytes (27.7% vs. 42.4%), the rates of aneuploidy (14.5% vs. 18.2%), and the rates of hyperhaploidy (4.8% vs. 3.0%). These results do not support the assumption of an increase in (numerically) abnormal gametes with increasing maternal age, which is of special interest in cases of trisomy 21. However, it is not possible to draw any definite conclusions, because of the low number of gametes, which were analysed in the upper age group.