Beverley Vollenhoven

Endometriosis is associated with chronic pelvic pain, largely due to immune dysregulation within the peritoneal cavity. The activation status of peritoneal immune cells is not well understood, and comparisons with systemic immune cells may …

BACKGROUND: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was first developed to overcome male factor infertility. ICSI has increased in uptake globally, including in cases where its use is non-essential for fertilisation. AIMS: To identify temp…

BACKGROUND: Uterine fibroids occur in up to 40% of women over 35 years of age. Up to 50% of uterine fibroids cause symptoms that warrant treatment: anaemia caused by heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, dysmenorrhoea, infertility and poor…

INTRODUCTION: Early pregnancy care involves the screening and identification of women with risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes, including stillbirth or preterm birth, to tailor pregnancy care and interventions accordingly. Most stil…

Not discounting the important foetal or placental contribution, the endometrium is a key determinant of pregnancy outcomes. Given the inherently linked processes of menstruation, pregnancy and parturition with the endometrium, further under…

Abstract Study question Can extracellular vesicles serve as biomarkers of endometriosis, particularly for stages I and II, which are difficult to detect by ultrasound? Summary answer Our findings suggest the feasibility of defining a protei…

OBJECTIVES: Ovarian hyperthecosis (OHT) is a rare cause of severe hyperandrogenism in the adolescent age group. We describe two case reports, and present an approach to management in this age group based on a review of the literature. CASE…

Abstract Background Endometriosis is characterised by chronic inflammation in the peritoneal cavity causing acute and chronic pelvic pain, largely explained by dysregulation in the immune environment within peritoneal fluid. The activation …

Study questionWhat is the present performance of artificial intelligence (AI) decision support during embryo selection compared to the standard embryo selection by embryologists?Summary answerAI consistently outperformed the clinical teams …

INTRODUCTION: Current research aimed at understanding and preventing stillbirth focuses almost exclusively on the role of the placenta. The underlying origins of poor placental function leading to stillbirth, however, remain poorly understo…

PURPOSE: Limited research has been published comparing PIEZO-ICSI with conventional ICSI. While positive effects have been documented in improving fertilization and degeneration, the outcomes in patients with previous poor results from conv…

Uterine Fibroids, or leiomyomata, affect millions of women world-wide, with a high incidence of 75% within women of reproductive age. In ~30% of patients, uterine fibroids cause menorrhagia, or heavy menstrual bleeding, and more than half o…

STUDY QUESTION: Does the presence of adenomyosis in women treated with IVF alter IVF outcomes? SUMMARY ANSWER: Adenomyosis does not significantly alter IVF outcomes when adjusted for confounding factors including maternal age and smoking s…

Background: Uterine peristalsis occurs in the endometrial–myometrial junctional zone. It is involved in sperm transport and embryo implantation in spontaneous and in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. We investigated the reproducibility of t…

The uterine junctional zone represents the juncture between endometrium and myometrium. The junctional zone is hormonally dependent and displays continuous peristaltic activity throughout the menstrual cycle in the nonpregnant state which i…

Purpose: To explore in a small pilot study whether oral melatonin, administered during ovarian stimulation increases clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) after IVF and what dose might be most effective. Methods: Pilot double-blind, dose-finding, p…

BACKGROUND: Uterine fibroids occur in up to 40% of women aged over 35 years. Some are asymptomatic, but up to 50% cause symptoms that warrant therapy. Symptoms include anaemia caused by heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, dysmenorrhoea, …

BACKGROUND: Many adjuvant therapies are employed during IVF treatment in an attempt to improve outcomes. The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of thirteen adjuvants (Intralipid, steroids, melatonin, coenzyme Q10, Filgrastim,…

STUDY QUESTION: Does melatonin result in a dose-response effect on sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in women undergoing IVF? SUMMARY ANSWER: Melatonin, even when given at high doses twice per day, does not cause significant daytime sle…

INTRODUCTION: High levels of oxidative stress can have considerable impact on the outcomes of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Recent studies have reported that melatonin, a neurohormone secreted from the pineal gland in response to darkness, …

Despite the prevalence of uterine fibroids (Fs), few studies have investigated the links between clinical features and the cellular or molecular mechanisms that drive F growth and development. Such knowledge will ultimately help to differen…

BACKGROUND: There is a growing consensus that ovarian reserve is reduced after surgical excision of ovarian endometriomas. However, it remains to be fully clarified whether this damage precedes or follows surgery. In order to further elucid…