case report: Ovarian stimulation in an infertile patient with growth hormone-deficient Oliver-Mcfarlane syndrome

Several authors have suggested that growth hormone may augmentovarian responses to follicle stimulating hormone in women (Homburget al., Clin. Endocrinol., 29, 1988; Ibrahim et al., Fertil.Steril., 55, 1991), and that this effect may be mediated byinsulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) (Davoren and Hsueh, Endocrinology,118, 1986). Menashe et al. (Hum. Reprod., 6, 1991) reportedspontaneous pregnancies in women with a deficiency in growthhormone receptors and, consequently, low serum concentrationsof IGF-I. In this report, we present the case of a patient witha rare syndrome first described by Oliver and Mcfarlane (Arch.Ophthalmol., 74, 1965). The patient was shown to be growth hormonedeficient, with hypopituitarism as part of the syndrome. Adjuvantgrowth hormone did not influence her ovarian responses to exogenousgonadotrophins during assisted conception treatment, as reflectedby the required total number of ampoules of human menopausalgonadotrophin, the number of developing follicles, the rateof follicular growth and the serum oestradiol concentrations.