Assessment of Follicular Maturation by Plasma Estradiol Levels and Ultrasound During Normal Periovulatory Period

The accurated prediction and detection of follicular growth is very important in the successful investigation and treatment of the infertility. Recently, serial visualization of the ovarian follicles with ultrasound have been described as rapid, reliable methods for monitoring of follicular growth.

Human ovarian follicular development measured by peripheral plasma estradiol and ovarian follicular growth assessed by serial ultrasonic visualization of the ovary were compared and analyzed in 17 normal ovulatory cycling women.

The results were as follows :

1) The mean follicular diameter was ranged 0.93±0.07-2.07±0.07cm and the maxium diameter of ovarian follicle was 2.07±0.07cm on the day of LH surge. Daily growth rates of ovarian follicle was 1.5-2.3mm/day from the day 4 to 0. There was a correlation between follicular diameter meansurements and peripheral plasma E₂ levels on day -7 to day 0 of 17 normal cycling women. The linear correlation coefficient was r=0.9669(p<0.01).

2) Plasma LH level increased from day-7, 29.9±3.72mIU/ml to day of the LH surge, 108.69±16.9mIU/ml.

3) Plasma progesterone level begin to increase on the day 0. 0.75±0.2ng/ml, on the day+1, 1.08±0.2ng/ml and was reached to levels of 5.65±1.08ng/ml on the day + 3 after ovulation.

4) These study show that ultrasonic measurement of follicular diameter are valuable in the prediction of follicle growth, and ovarian function.