Purpose:
Our experience with IVF using low-dose clomiphene citrate for stimulation in 
non-
and poor responders was reviewed and the treatment outcomes with the previous controlled ovarian stimulation cycles in which hMG and GnRH agonist were used were compared.
Methods:
The treatment outcome in 11 non- and 20 poor responders having 30 and 53 clomiphene citrate IVF treatment cycles, respectively, were compared with the treatment outcome in the previous long-protocol buserelin/hMG cycles.
Results:
The clinical pregnancy rates per oocyte collection achieved in the first clomiphene citrate cycle in non (9.1%)- and poor (10%) responders were comparable to those achieved by poor responders (11.9%) who had buserelin/hMG using the long protocol. Although the numbers were small, a similar pregnancy rate could still be achieved in poor responders up to the third attempt using clomiphene citrate.
Conclusions:
IVF using long-protocol buserelin/hMG is more successful than using clomiphene citrate stimulation. However, this advantage may not be significant in those women with a previous poor response to buserelin/hMG. It is suggested that for such poor responders, three attempts of IVF in a clomiphene citrate cycle may offer a viable therapeutic alternative before reverting to more stressful, expensive, and time-consuming treatment.
clomiphene citrate - in vitro fertilization - poor responders