Abstract
Objective. To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of transvaginal ultrasound guided injection of hot saline into the ovarian stroma in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) cases in an office based gynecology practice under local anesthesia. Setting. Outpatient gynecologic clinic. Study design. Pilot study. Participants. Fifty-two anovulatory infertile females diagnosed as PCOS by clinical, chemical and ultrasound criteria were recruited for the study. All cases were resistant to clomiphene citrate for more than 6 months. Intervention. Injection of warm sterile saline (75C) into the ovarian stroma under transvaginal monitoring using ovum pickup needle. Outcome measures. Cycle regularity, ovulation rate and safety were primary outcomes. Pregnancy rate and patient convenience were our secondary outcomes. Results. Ovulation has been achieved in 73.1% of clomiphene citrate resistant PCOS cases and resulted in pregnancy in 26.9% of these cases. No adverse effects were recorded and the procedure was tolerable in most cases. Conclusion. Transvaginal ultrasound guided ovarian stroma hydrocoagulation ( TOSH) in an office setting seems to be a safe, economic and practical procedure that is acceptable by the patients. If larger studies confirm its effectiveness it may be an attractive alternative to conventional ovarian drilling.