Browsing by Author "Seneviratne, H.R."

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Aetiology of infertility among females seeking treatment at a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka
(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2012) Palihawadana, T.S.; Wijesinghe, P.S.; Seneviratne, H.R.
OBJECTIVES: Aim of this study was to describe the proportion of contributory factors of female infertility in a population that sought fertility treatment. Furthermore, the clinical findings and underlying pathologies associated with ovulatory dysfunction were also sought. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the infertility clinic of the North Colombo Teaching Hospital. New clinic attendees were recruited and both partners had a detailed clinical interview. The women underwent a baseline pelvic ultrasound scan, assessment of ovulation and a hormone profile. Tests for tubal patency were carried out when clinically indicated. RESULTS: Ovulatory dysfunction was noted in 53% (n=218). Clinical and investigatory findings associated with ovulatory dysfunction included irregular menstrual cycles, acanthosis nigricans, hirsutism, polycystic ovary syndrome, a LH:FSH ratio of >1, and increased TSH or testosterone levels. Unilateral tubal occlusion was seen in 9.1 % (n=18) while it was bilateral in 1% (n=2). Abnormalities in sexual function were noted in 10.8% (n=56). CONCLUSIONS: Abnormalities in ovulation were common. Clinical findings that could be used to recognise women at risk of ovulatory dysfunction were identified. Abnormalities in sexual function, which are often overlooked in the clinical management of infertility, were seen in over 10% of patients. Tubal factor infertility is rare.
A Comparison of endometrial thickness following augmentation of ovulation with clomifene citrate or letrozole in women with ovulatory infertility
(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2015) Palihawadana, T.S.; Wijesinghe, P.S.; Seneviratne, H.R.
OBJECTIVES: To compare endometrial thickness following augmentation of ovulation with clomifene (CC) and letrozole and to assess the rate of multi-follicle development and the FSH fluctuations during the stimulated cycles. METHODS: A comparative study was carried out at the infertility clinic of Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Each arm included 25 participants. They received either 100mg of CC or 2.5mg of letrozole per day for 5 days starting from 2nd day of the cycle. The fluctuation of FSH in the follicular phase of the cycle, the endometrial thickness and the number of pre-ovulatory follicles on the day of detecting a mature follicle, were measured. RESULTS: Treatment with letrozole resulted in a smaller rise in the follicular phase FSH, which was shorter in duration than with CC. Also it resulted in a higher mean endometrial thickness at the time of detecting a mature follicle [9.89 (SD=2.02) mm vs. 8.58 (SD=1.32) mm; p=0.021]. Augmentation of ovulation with CC showed a trend towards multi-follicle development compared to letrozole. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that letrozole is superior to CC in augmentation of ovulation in terms of endometrial growth and mono-follicle development. However more studies are needed to assess how these differences affect the treatment outcome before it is recommended for clinical use.
Factors associated with nonresponse to ovulation induction using letrozole among women with World Health Organization group II anovulation
(Medknow Publications, 2015) Palihawadana, T.S.; Wijesinghe, P.S.; Seneviratne, H.R.
CONTEXT: Letrozole, a third generation aromatase inhibitor is gaining importance in ovulation induction. Some prefer to use it as a second line agent in women who fail to respond to clomifene citrate. However, our knowledge about the predictors of response to letrozole is limited. AIMS: The study was aimed at identifying the factors associated with letrozole resistance among women with World Health Organization (WHO) group II anovulation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Study was conducted at the infertility clinic at a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. A case–control study design was used and included 50 subjects with WHO group II anovulation (25 clomifene responsive and 25 clomifene resistant). After a treatment cycle of letrozole, the factors were compared between the subjects who responded and those who failed to respond to treatment. RESULTS: Ovulation was achieved in 76% (n = 19) of subjects who had responded to clomifene previously and in 24% (n = 6) with clomifene resistance. The factors associated with letrozole resistance included the presence of hirsutism (odds ratio [OR]: 3.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2–12.3) and clomifene resistance (OR: 10.03; 95% CI: 2.81–35.7). The early follicular phase mean (standard deviation) luteinizing hormone level was significantly higher among the nonresponders (9.75 [4.78] – 7.28 [2.3]; P = 0.02). Nonresponders showed significantly lower levels of oestradiol on the 5th and 9th days (28.50 [3.39] pg/mL vs. 7.49 [3.62] pg/mL; P = 0.0007 and 142.04 [76.22] pg/mL vs. 28.10 [12.8] pg/mL; P = 0.0001) of the menstrual cycle, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The features associated with resistance to Letrozole at a dose of 2.5 mg show some overlap with those associated with clomifene resistance. However, some features do not show similar association. The effectiveness of letrozole at a dose of 2.5 mg in induction of ovulation among women with clomifene resistance is low and it does not seem to be a suitable treatment at a dose of 2.5 mg for this indication.
A Study on Factors Associated with Clomifene Resistance in Infertile Women with WHO Group II Anovulation at a Teaching Hospital in Sri Lanka
(Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2014) Palihawadana, T.S.; Dissanayake, D.M.A.B.; Wijesinghe, P.S.; Seneviratne, H.R.
Background: Anovulation is a common cause of infertility and induction of ovulation with oral agents such as clomifene is the treatment of choice in women with normogonadotropic anovulation. While such treatment is able to achieve ovulation in many, some women fail to respond thus termed as having clomifene resistance. Knowledge on factors associated with such resistance would enable us to counsel patients more accurately and offer alternative treatment modalities without undue delays. This study was aimed at identifying factors associated with clomifene resistance among infertile women with WHO group II anovulation at a teaching hospital in Sri Lanka. Method: A case control study was done at the Infertility clinic of the North Colombo teaching hospital, Ragama conducted by the department of obstetrics & Gynaecology of the University of Kelaniya. Women with WHO group II anovulation (n=128) were included and underwent induction of ovulation with clomifene citrate starting at a dose of 50mg per day, increased up to 150mg till ovulation was achieved. Those who fail to respond to a maximum dose of 150mg were termed as clomifene resistant. The factors known to be associated with clomifene resistance were compared between the two groups who responded and those who failed to respond. The study was registered with the Sri Lankan clinical trial registry maintained by the Sri Lanka Medical association. The study was funded by the National Science foundation of Sri Lanka through a research grant (Grant No: RG/2007/HS/08) Results: Ovulation was achieved in 77.3% (n=99) of subjects and therefore the prevalence of clomifene resistance was 22.8% (n=29). Among those who responded, 41 did so at a dose of 50mg per day while 40% did with 100mg, thus over 80% achieving ovulation at a dose of 100mg per day or less. The factors associated with clomifene resistance in this population included infertility of more than three years (OR 2.06, 95%CI 1.51-9.14), presence of hirsutism (OR 2.76, 95%CI 1.18-6.46), a higher AFC (16 vs 13, p=0.04), PCOS (OR 2.99, 95%CI 1.06-8.41) and an LH:FSH ratio of > 1(OR3.11, 95%CI 1.33-7.24). Other factors that have been described to be associated with clomifene resistance such as advanced age, a BMI > 25, and a higher ovarian volume did not show any significant associations in this study. Discussion: This study was able to identify factors associated with clomifene resistance in a local population. Most factors identified included clinical and laboratory findings of PCOS thus highlighting the limitations in treatment success of clomifene among women with PCOS. This information may be used in clinical practice to counsel patients prior to treatment or to consider other alternative treatment options such as Letrozole or gonadotropins. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sljog.v36i3.7715