Monitoring of ovarian follicular development by ultrasonography

As the embryo transfer protocol it is necessary to accurately monitor ovarian follicular maturation in order to determine the optimal time for laparoscopic 'harvesting' of a mature oocyte. Serial ovarian ultraonographic examination were performed on 19 patients, 5 were healthy women with regular menstrual cycles, 11 were women of anovulatory cycles who received ovulation induction(Group I), and 3 were of anovulatory cycles not received ovulation induction(GroupII). The results were as follows; 1. Mean diameter of maximal mature follicles in Group I was 2.3cm with 0.22 S.D. on ultrasonogram. 2. This size seemed to be identical with that occurring in normal menstrual cycles. 3. Multiple follicles generally appeared on one or both ovaries treated with gonadotropins. 4. Postovulatory ultrasonic findings of ovarian follicles in 11 anovulatory women treated with gonadotropin were gradual decrease in size in all cases, irregular appearance of follicles in 4, internal echoes within the follicles in 5, and fluid in cul-de-sac in 1 case