A prospective randomized trial comparing clomiphene citrate with tamoxifen citrate for ovulation induction

OBJECTIVE: To compare the rates of ovulation and pregnancy after tamoxifen citrate (TMX) or clomiphene citrate (CC) among anovulatory women with infertility. DESIGN: Prospective randomized trial. SETTING: Infertility clinic in a university teaching hospital. PATIENT(S): Eighty-six anovulatory women under 40 years of age undergoing ovulation induction. INTERVENTION(S): The women were assigned randomly to receive either TMX or CC on cycle days 5-9. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Rates of ovulation and pregnancy for the two treatment modalities. RESULTS(S): The overall rate of ovulation in the TMX group was 50 of 113 (44.2%) and in the CC group, 41 of 91 (45.1%). There were 10 pregnancies in the TMX group and 6 pregnancies in the CC group. The cycle fecundity per ovulatory cycle was 20.0% in the TMX group and 14.6% in the CC group. CONCLUSION(S): The overall rate of ovulation and pregnancy were similar with TMX and CC. TMX is a suitable alternative agent to CC in the management of anovulatory infertility.