Objective: To report a case of forearm amputation after ovarian stimulation for IVF-ET.
Design: Case report.
Setting: A university hospital.
Patient(s): A 41-year-old woman, who had coagulation disorder as a result of an ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) for IVF-ET.
Intervention(s): Retrospective evaluation of angiographic studies and surgical treatment.
Main outcome measure(s): Medical follow-up after forearm amputation due to OHSS.
Result(s): The patient underwent many cycles of IVF-ET with administration of purified FSH (75 IU 10 times per day, for 12 days) and chorionic gonadotropin (5,000 IU). The patient had a coagulation disorder as a result of OHSS, with thrombosis of the axillary vein, recurring after thromboarterectomy and leading to the paradoxical result of the amputation of an arm.
Conclusion(s): An ethical evaluation of this case is mandatory, since the desire for pregnancy, the role of medical science, health, and human life itself are all factors involved.