Ovulation induction with pulsatile luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone in women with clomiphene citrate-resistant polycystic ovary-like disease: endocrine results

The pituitary and gonadal response to pulsatile luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) administration during the first and consecutive second treatment unit (TU) was studied in nine women with clomiphene citrate-resistant polycystic ovary-like disease (PCOD). The control group consisted of eight eumenorrheic women. Luteinizing hormone levels, LH amplitudes, and total urinary excretion/24 hours did not differ between ovulatory and anovulatory TUs, but were significantly higher compared with the control group. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in PCOD did not differ from normal cycles. Androgen values in the anovulatory TUs were significantly higher compared with the ovulatory TUs (P = 0.001). We conclude that LH-RH therapy may result in ovulation; however, it does not redress the intrinsic abnormality in PCOD and FSH, and androgen levels do not seem to be critical in ovulation induction.