Embryo morphokinetic characteristics and euploidy.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of the current review is to provide an update on time-lapse morphokinetic assessment related to embryo ploidy status.

RECENT FINDINGS: The main limitation of the available studies regarding correlation between morphokinetic variables and ploidy is that each embryo is considered as an independent unit whereas recent findings show that embryo kinetics may be affected by patient and ovarian stimulation-related factors, so that clustered data analysis is more appropriate. Moreover, some experimental evidences show how embryos with irregular developmental patterns, often used as deselection criteria, can evolve into usable embryos and give pregnancy.

SUMMARY: Time lapse technology has allowed us to obtain a lot of information about human embryo development through the characterization of events that are otherwise not visible using static morphological observations. Many morphokinetic parameters have been tested in relation to a variety of outcomes including implantation potential, blastocyst development and ploidy status. Regarding to this last point, most efforts aim to unravel this relationship with conflicting results in their predictive ability. Furthermore, embryos originating from anomalous behaviour, although with a reduced developmental potential, may result in euploid and transferrable blastocysts.