ovarian tissue cryopreservation in patients with endometriosis: a systematic review of the literature

Background objective: endometriosis is one of the primary etiology of subfertility in women; in severe cases, endometriosis surgery could result in infertility due to oophorectomy. ovarian tissue cryopreservation is a method by which the ovarian cortex is frozen and retransplanted in patients. this method is unaffected by the menstrual cycle, can restore ovarian hormonal function, and does not require sperm donor or ovulation induction. this systematic review aims to review the utility of ovarian tissue cryopreservation in endometriosis patients.materials methods: we searched the literature using keywords such as “fertility preservation,” “cryopreservation,” “endometriosis,” and “ovarian tissue cryopreservation” for relevant articles in pubmed and embase. we included all relevant articles, including case reports, cohort studies, and clinical trials.results: a total of 6 articles were included in this systematic review, including three retrospective studies and three case reports. in screening for candidates of ovarian tissue cryopreservation, serum antimullerian hormone (amh) is a good marker for primordial follicle count. patients undergoing ovarian tissue implantation after cryopreservation demonstrated an excellent pregnancy rate (41.2%) in one study. follicle viability and hormonal function were preserved post-transplantation.conclusion: the current evidence shows that endocrine function and fertility in patients grafted with cryopreserved ovarian tissue are good. however, the evidence on the long-term outcome of ovarian tissue cryopreservation in endometriosis patients is lacking.