Q: the #1 cause of female infertility

Prep for USMLE Forum

» Log in | Register

Forum

Step 1

Match

Prep4USMLE Forum » USMLE Step 2 CK Forum » Ob-Gyn Forum

Q: the #1 cause of female infertility

Login or Register to post messages

Rated:

(0 votes)

Author

9 Posts

fongch
Forum Elite
avatar

Topics: 71
Posts: 316

04/26/07 - 07:13 AM

This is modified from a UW question. Please explain or cite your source when you answer

Which of the following category is the most commonly involved in female infertility?
A Peritoneal factor
B Ovulatory factor
C Tubo-uterine factor
D Cervical factor
E Unexplained infertility

Justice
Just signed contract
avatar

Topics: 118
Posts: 2,369

04/26/07 - 07:23 AM

(C) Tubo-uterine factors

The origin of infertility is similarly due to male or female factors; the causes are multiple. Female factors account for 32% of infertility. Male factors account for 18.8% of infertility. Male and female factors combined cause 18.5% of fertility. The etiology is unknown in 11.1%, and other causes are identified in 5.6%.
Those with an unknown etiology can also be categorized as a normal infertile couple (NIC), indicating that all findings from standard tests used to evaluate the patients are normal. In NICs, the actual cause for infertility cannot be detected because it may be at the oocyte/sperm level or it may be due to the quality of the embryo or to any disruption at the implantation site level. In the future, ascribing the mutation or the absence of a specific gene as the cause of infertility may be possible in this patient population.
Other etiologic factors have been associated with an increased risk of infertility. These include pelvic inflammatory disease (PID); endometriosis; environmental and occupational factors; toxic effects related to tobacco, marijuana, or other drugs; exercise; inadequate diet associated with extreme weight loss or gain; and advanced age.

Pelvic inflammatory disease
PID has been associated with gonorrhea infection for more than a century (Brand, 1985). While gonorrhea still plays an important role in tubal disease, it has been surpassed by chlamydia. Westrom reported a 21% incidence of infertility in a group of Swedish women who were diagnosed with PID, which was confirmed by laparoscopy findings (Westrom, 1975). The rate of damage to the fallopian tubes increases with subsequent PID episodes, from 34% for the first episode to 54% in women with second and third episodes (Westrom, 1980).

___________________
The winner takes it all...

Aashi
Forum Moderator
avatar

Topics: 114
Posts: 1,062

04/26/07 - 07:35 AM

A ----------> Peritoneal factor ( kaplan obgyne and blueprints)

___________________
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your EYES off your goal."

NE
Forum Guru
avatar

Topics: 53
Posts: 504

05/03/07 - 01:05 PM

I know A is the USMLEworld's answer but I am not very sure; besides Kaplan and blueprints all articles have almost the same conclusion- tubo- ovarian factors!

yasmeen
Forum Guru

Topics: 71
Posts: 948

05/10/07 - 11:13 AM

i don,t know how u have modified this q but most common cause of infertility is indeed tubal diseases according to many text books

arlete
Forum Fanatic
avatar

Topics: 50
Posts: 3,581

05/10/07 - 02:39 PM

What would be a peritoneal factor? confused

___________________
Now it's on God's hands. I've done my best!

fongch
Forum Elite
avatar

Topics: 71
Posts: 316

05/12/07 - 10:33 AM

Endometriosis is one

arlete wrote:
What would be a peritoneal factor? confused

arlete
Forum Fanatic
avatar

Topics: 50
Posts: 3,581

05/13/07 - 04:00 PM

Isn't PID more common then endometriosis? raised eyebrow

___________________
Now it's on God's hands. I've done my best!

Justice
Just signed contract
avatar

Topics: 118
Posts: 2,369

05/17/07 - 06:23 AM

Guys,
After reading the the UW explanation, I have an impression that there is no clear sense of what the pure peritoneal vs tubo-uterine causes are... PID is the most frequent pathology leading to adhesions in the pelvis thereby altering the tubal passage... Whereas pathophysiologically this is the tubo-uterine case, it is judged to be the peritoneal one. That's where I see the confusion.

___________________
The winner takes it all...

Similar forum topics

female infertility
female infertility
infertility q
infertility

Related resources