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Zeinab Kazemianpour: 2 Unusual Oocytes Observed Before ICSI

Zeinab Kazemianpour/LinkedIn

Sep 4, 2026, 17:13

Zeinab Kazemianpour: 2 Unusual Oocytes Observed Before ICSI

Zeinab Kazemianpour, Clinical Embryologist at Nikan Hospital, shared on LinkedIn:

”Two unusual oocytes observed before ICSI

Today, I came across two very different oocytes during denudation.

One was already degenerated and had an abnormal, dark appearance, making it unsuitable for ICSI.

The other was quite different. Before any sperm injection, the oocyte had already started to cleave, showing a morphology similar to an early embryo. In our lab, we refer to these as parthenogenetic oocytes.

This made me think about how differently oocytes can respond even before the ICSI procedure begins.

What could be behind these observations?

For oocyte degeneration, possible contributing factors include:

Oocyte quality and cytoplasmic abnormalities
Mechanical stress during denudation
Exposure to hyaluronidase
Temperature or pH fluctuations
Delayed handling after oocyte retrieval
Other patient- or cycle-related factors

For spontaneous parthenogenetic activation, possible mechanisms include:

Spontaneous oocyte activation
Abnormal Ca²⁺ oscillations
Cytoplasmic or oocyte maturity-related factors
Mechanical or chemical stimulation

Of course, a single observation cannot tell us exactly what caused either event. But these unexpected findings are a good reminder that every oocyte can behave differently, and even small changes in the laboratory environment or handling process may matter.

Have you ever observed parthenogenetic cleavage before ICSI in your lab?

I’d be interested to hear how often you see it and what factors you think may contribute to it.”

Zeinab Kazemianpour: 2 Unusual Oocytes Observed Before ICSI