Accurate Diagnosis as a Prognostic Factor in Intrauterine Insemination Treatment of Infertile Saudi Patients

BACKGROUND: The study meant to define the prognostic factors that help in prescribing intrauterine insemination (IUI) for infertility treatment which remains an area of continuous improvements. METHODS: The diagnostic indications of a cohort of IUI-treated patients and their corresponding pregnancy rates (PRs) were randomly and prospectively studied among Saudi cohort of 303 patients for a period of 20 months. The indications of IUI cases were statistically analyzed for those eligible patients over a period of twenty months (January 2010 till August 2011), and the PR that corresponded to each group was investigated as well. P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The highest PR, 18.87%, of the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)-only diagnosed patients, was significantly higher than the average PR of all other indications combined, 7.22%, (p = 0.011, compared to all other groups combined). The second highest PR, 14.0%, of the tubal factor (TF)-only indication, was double the PR average of all other indications combined, though it did not reach significance. However, PCOS and TF accompanied by other indications caused the PR to drop to 5.88% and 5.56%, respectively. However, a group of some hormonal-imbalance based indications had the least PR (0.0% to 2.70%). Those indications were elevated serum FSH, hyperprolactinemia, hypogonadotrophy, hypothyroidism and endometriosis. The rest of the indications had an average PR (8.33% to 11.11%). CONCLUSION: There is a reasonable chance of conception after IUI treatment for female factor infertility except in cases with sever hormonal imbalance. The PCOS cases having the best success chances.