Low-dose aspirin therapy to prevent ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome

Objective: To evaluate the effect of low-dose aspirin therapy on ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in an unselected group of patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Design: Randomized clinical trial. Setting: Division of Reproductive Medicine at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pecs, Faculty of Medicine, Pecs, Hungary. Patient(s): Patients who underwent IVF between 2000 and 2006. Intervention(s): Initiation of 3154 IVF cycles, for which gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist was used in 2425 cycles; 1503 cycles randomly selected for low-dose aspirin treatment starting from the first day of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation compared with no treatment in the remaining 922 cycles. Main Outcome Measure(s): The incidence of severe or critical OHSS and the rate of clinical pregnancy. Result(s): During this time period, 45 cases of severe OHSS were detected. Only two of the OHSS patients had received aspirin previously. Conclusion(s): Based on our preliminary results, introduction of low-dose aspirin therapy during ovulation induction for the prevention of OHSS in high-risk patients should be considered. (Fertil Steril (R) 2010; 93: 2281-4. (C) 2010 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)