Prognostic Role of Pronuclear Morphology as a Marker of Embryo Quality

Abstract Background: Selection of transferred embryos for assisted reproduction required special care. Scoring of the morphological features for 18, 44, and 68 h after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Objectives: The study aims to evaluate the correlation between pronuclear morphology and embryo quality. Materials and Methods: This prospective study included 85 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. The following pronuclear morphological features were evaluated: pronuclear centering, proximity, number of pronuclear precursor bodies their polarization, orientation of pronuclei, and presence of cytoplasmic hallo. All are related to day 3 embryo development and morphology. Results: A total of 207 embryos were enrolled in the study. Of these, 67 embryos were considered as poor quality, and 140 embryos were considered as good quality. There was an insignificant difference between the good embryo quality group and bad embryo quality group in orientation, proximity centering, number of nucleolar precursor bodies, polarization, and c-halo ( P > 0.05). A total score of 14 or more gives a sensitivity of 60% and spasticity of 56% to get a good embryo quality. Conclusion: Pronuclear morphology cannot be used as a prognostic marker for cleavage stage embryo quality.