A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LETROZOLE AND CLOMIPHENE CITRATE FOR OVULATION INDUCTION IN WOMEN WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME
1Dr Hajira Sajid 2Dr Nosheen Bano,3Dr Rohina Gul, 4Dr Asma Nayab, 5Dr Mahwish Pervaiz, 6Dr Muneeba Sheraz
Submission: 09 March 2026 | Acceptance: 16 April 2026 | Publication: 25 May 2026,
1PGR, Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital, Sialkot
2Assistant Professor OBS&Gynae, Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital, Sialkot
3Fertility Consultant, LIFE, Hameed Latif Hospital, Lahore
4Post Graduate Resident, Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital, Sialkot
5Senior Registrar Obs & Gynae, Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital, Sialkot
6Post Graduate Resident, Allama Iqbal Memorial Teaching Hospital, Sialkot
ABSTRACT
Background: Clomiphene citrate has usually been the first choice for ovulation stimulation. But the growing evidence indicates that letrozole may be more effective and better for the endometrium. There is limited comparative data on treatment efficacy across different demographic and socioeconomic groups, particularly in South Asian populations.
Objective: To compare the outcome of letrozole versus clomiphene citrate (CC) on ovulation induction in females presenting with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) having subfertility.
Methods: The was a quasi-experimental studyconducted in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Khawaja Muhammad Safder Medical College Hospital and Lahore Institute of Fertility and Endocrinology (LIFE), from July 2025 to February 2026. 100 patients, were categorized into two groups,Letrozole (group 1, n= 50) andClomiphene Citrate (group 2, n=50) from treatment initiation to outcome evaluation. Women aged 20–40 years, diagnosis of PCOS and both (primary and secondary) subfertility and Male with normal semen parameters were included in this study. The main outcome was success of ovulation induction.
Results: Patient characteristics were similar between the two groups. Letrozole demonstrated a higher ovulation rate (84%) compared to clomiphene citrate (76%) in the studygroups.This difference is statistically significant (p = 0.04). Letrozole group show higher pregnancy rate (PR) 16% versus CC group 10.5% (p = 0.00).
Conclusion: Letrozole showed significantly better ovulation induction effectiveness compared to clomiphene citrate in women with PCOs.
Keywords: Clomiphene citrate, Letrozole, Ovulation induction, Polycystic ovarian syndrome, Subfertility.