• Shifu Hu, Qiong Yu, Yingying Wang, Mei Wang, Wei Xia, and Changhong Zhu.
• Family Planning Research Institute, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
• Arch. Gynecol. Obstet. 2018 May 1; 297 (5): 1081-1088.

PurposePolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disturbance affecting women in the reproductive age group. The present study aimed to compare the effects of letrozole (LE) and clomiphene citrate (CC) for ovulation induction in women with PCOS.MethodsThe PUBMED, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were screened systematically for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from database inception to July 2017.ResultsEleven RCTs involving 2255 patients were included, and data were independently extracted and analyzed using 95% risk ratios (RRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) based on a random- or fixed-effect model (as appropriate). Meta-analyses of nine RCTs comparing LE and CC ovulation induction, followed by timed intercourse, indicated that the former significantly increased the ovulation rate (RR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.03-1.36, P = 0.01), pregnancy rate (RR = 1.34; 95% CI 1.09-1.64, P = 0.006), and live birth rate (RR = 1.55; 95% CI 1.28-1.88, P < 0.00001). However, LE and CC did not differ significantly in terms of the multiple pregnancy and abortion rates. Furthermore, LE for ovulation induction significantly improved the pregnancy rate after IUI.ConclusionLE is superior to CC for ovulation induction in patients with PCOS.

21 keywords...

hide…