Patient's question:
My younger sister is 23 years old and has been married for half a year without getting pregnant. Upon investigation, she only has two menstrual periods a year, meaning she has one every six months. Each period may last about 7 days, but after getting married, her menstrual cycle has shortened to 3-5 days. During an ultrasound examination at the hospital, it was found that her uterus is developing normally, but there is a luteal phase defect. The doctor prescribed progesterone injections and clomiphene. About 21 days after the injection, she started her period. On the fifth day, she began taking clomiphene. Now, her basal body temperature is irregular. What should she do??Doctor's answer:
Luteal phase deficiency can easily lead to poor follicular development, incomplete luteal formation, and an imbalance in the ratio of estrogen and progesterone secreted by the corpus luteum itself. Infertility caused by luteal phase deficiency is not uncommon, accounting for approximately 3% to 10% of all infertility cases. The main manifestations of luteal phase deficiency include a shortened menstrual cycle, frequent menstruation, infertility, or miscarriage, with miscarriages primarily occurring in the early stages of pregnancy. Patients with this condition usually experience no discomfort in their daily lives, except that they may have anovulatory cycles during several menstrual periods. At times, they may also experience excessive or overly frequent menstruation or prolonged menstrual periods.