A pilot study to prevent a thin endometrium in patients undergoing clomiphene citrate treatment

Table 2 Endometrial thickness, number of follicles and serum progesterone levels in the control, half dose and early administration groups

	Control (N = 20)	Half dose (N = 20)	Early administration (N = 21)
Endometrial thickness
Mean ± SD (mm)	6.7 ± 1.8	8.6 ± 1.5^a	9.4 ± 1.5^a
< 8 mm	17 (85.0%)	6(30.0%)	2(9.6%)
≥ 8 mm	3(15.0%)	14(70.0%)^a	19(90.4%)^a
Days until follicles maturation	12.0 ± 1.5	13.6 ± 2.7^b	11.6 ± 2.3
Number of follicles
≥ 15 mm	1.9 ± 1.0	1.8 ± 0.9	2.3 ± 0.9
≥18 mm	1.3 ± 0.5	1.4 ± 0.6	1.4 ± 0.6
Serum progesterone (ng/ml)	22.3 ± 11.3	18.8 ± 7.3	18.8 ± 10.3

Sixty-one patients were diagnosed as having a thin endometrium (< 8 mm) during the standard clomiphene citrate (CC) treatment cycle. To prevent a thin endometrium in the next cycle, the 61 patients were randomly divided into three groups: 20 patients were given 25 mg/day CC on days 5–9 of the menstrual cycle (half-dose group), 21 patients were given 50 mg/day CC on days 1–5 of the menstrual cycle (early administration group) and 20 patients received a standard CC treatment again (control group). Endometrial thickness and number of follicles was determined by vaginal ultrasonography on the day of HCG injection for ovulation induction. Venous blood was obtained for the determination of the mean ± SD. ^ap < 0.05 versus Control, ^bp <0.05 versus Control and early administration group. (Fisher’s test or Kruskal Wallis H-test).

ISSN: 1757-2215