Objective: To investigate the significance of progesterone profile and endometrial biopsy during luteal median phase in diagnosis of luteal function.
Methods: The progesterone profile during median luteal phase and endometrial histology during median and late luteal phase of 53 infertile women with infertile and recurrent abortion for unknown reasons were studied.
Results: Retarded endometrial development occurred in the median luteal phase in 24 of the 53 cases, 9 of which lasted into the late phase. The average progesterone profile of these patients was markedly lower compared with the control group (P < 0.05). However, the average progesterone profile remained normal in the other 13 cases, in whom, RED got normalized in the late luteal phase. Endometrial biopsies taken during the median and late luteal phase from the rest of 29 cases were normal.
Conclusions: In patients with retarded endometrial development during the full luteal phase, luteal function was decreased, but in patients with retarded endometrial development only during the median luteal phase, luteal function appeared to be normal.