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Number of antral follicles, ovarian volume, and vascular indices in asymptomatic women 20 to 39 years old as assessed by 3-dimensional sonography: a prospective cross-sectional study.

Jokubkiene, Ligita LU ; Sladkevicius, Povilas LU orcid and Valentin, Lil LU orcid (2012) In Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine 31(10). p.1635-1649
Abstract
Objectives:

Our aim was to elicit data representative of normal findings on 3-dimensional (3D) transvaginal gray-scale and power Doppler sonography of ovaries in women of fertile age.



Methods:

A total of 303 gynecologically asymptomatic white women 20 to 39 years old with spontaneous regular menstrual cycles were examined with transvaginal 3D gray-scale and power Doppler sonography on cycle days 4 to 8. We used a 6- to 12-MHz transducer. The ovarian volume, number and volume of antral follicles of 2 mm or larger, vascularization index, flow index, and vascularization-flow index were calculated using dedicated software. Results are presented separately for women with follicles of 2.0 to 10.0 mm and for... (More)
Objectives:

Our aim was to elicit data representative of normal findings on 3-dimensional (3D) transvaginal gray-scale and power Doppler sonography of ovaries in women of fertile age.



Methods:

A total of 303 gynecologically asymptomatic white women 20 to 39 years old with spontaneous regular menstrual cycles were examined with transvaginal 3D gray-scale and power Doppler sonography on cycle days 4 to 8. We used a 6- to 12-MHz transducer. The ovarian volume, number and volume of antral follicles of 2 mm or larger, vascularization index, flow index, and vascularization-flow index were calculated using dedicated software. Results are presented separately for women with follicles of 2.0 to 10.0 mm and for those with at least 1 follicle larger than 10.0 mm for 3 age groups: 20 to 29, 30 to 34, and 35 to 39 years.



Results:

There were 214 women (71%) with follicles of 2.0 to 10.0 mm and 89 (29%) with follicles larger than 10.0 mm. In women with follicles of 2.0 to 10.0 mm, the right ovary was on average 0.8 cm(3) larger and contained on average 1.2 more follicles than the left one. The ovarian volume, number of follicles, and total follicular volume decreased significantly with age in both ovaries (P = .000-.029): for the right ovary ovarian volume, the median (range) decreased from 8.4 (3.7-17.3) cm(3) at 20 to 29 years to 6.5 (2.4-12.7) cm(3) at 35 to 39 years, the number of follicles from 14 (1-32) at 20 to 29 years to 8 (1-21) at 35 to 39 years, and the total follicular volume from 1.08 (0.01-3.10) cm(3) at 20 to 29 years to 0.84 (0.03-2.00) cm(3) at 35 to 39 years. The size of the largest follicle and the vascular indices manifested no clear changes with age in any ovary. In women with follicles larger than 10 mm, the number of follicles decreased with age in both ovaries.



Conclusions:

We have elicited data representative of normal findings on 3D trans-vaginal sonography of ovaries in gynecologically asymptomatic white women of fertile age. Our gray-scale sonographic results may be used as reference values for general gynecology in populations similar to ours. Vascular indices must be interpreted with caution because of difficulties with standardization. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
3-dimensional, sonography, ovary, Doppler sonography, ovarian follicle
in
Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine
volume
31
issue
10
pages
1635 - 1649
publisher
American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
external identifiers
  • wos:000309640800017
  • pmid:23011627
  • scopus:84867206952
ISSN
1550-9613
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b38b5a8c-efd6-42a1-92e6-eb7b501f2807 (old id 3123649)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23011627?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:00:30
date last changed
2022-01-25 18:49:23
@article{b38b5a8c-efd6-42a1-92e6-eb7b501f2807,
  abstract     = {{Objectives:<br/><br>
Our aim was to elicit data representative of normal findings on 3-dimensional (3D) transvaginal gray-scale and power Doppler sonography of ovaries in women of fertile age. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
Methods:<br/><br>
A total of 303 gynecologically asymptomatic white women 20 to 39 years old with spontaneous regular menstrual cycles were examined with transvaginal 3D gray-scale and power Doppler sonography on cycle days 4 to 8. We used a 6- to 12-MHz transducer. The ovarian volume, number and volume of antral follicles of 2 mm or larger, vascularization index, flow index, and vascularization-flow index were calculated using dedicated software. Results are presented separately for women with follicles of 2.0 to 10.0 mm and for those with at least 1 follicle larger than 10.0 mm for 3 age groups: 20 to 29, 30 to 34, and 35 to 39 years. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
Results:<br/><br>
There were 214 women (71%) with follicles of 2.0 to 10.0 mm and 89 (29%) with follicles larger than 10.0 mm. In women with follicles of 2.0 to 10.0 mm, the right ovary was on average 0.8 cm(3) larger and contained on average 1.2 more follicles than the left one. The ovarian volume, number of follicles, and total follicular volume decreased significantly with age in both ovaries (P = .000-.029): for the right ovary ovarian volume, the median (range) decreased from 8.4 (3.7-17.3) cm(3) at 20 to 29 years to 6.5 (2.4-12.7) cm(3) at 35 to 39 years, the number of follicles from 14 (1-32) at 20 to 29 years to 8 (1-21) at 35 to 39 years, and the total follicular volume from 1.08 (0.01-3.10) cm(3) at 20 to 29 years to 0.84 (0.03-2.00) cm(3) at 35 to 39 years. The size of the largest follicle and the vascular indices manifested no clear changes with age in any ovary. In women with follicles larger than 10 mm, the number of follicles decreased with age in both ovaries. <br/><br>
<br/><br>
Conclusions:<br/><br>
We have elicited data representative of normal findings on 3D trans-vaginal sonography of ovaries in gynecologically asymptomatic white women of fertile age. Our gray-scale sonographic results may be used as reference values for general gynecology in populations similar to ours. Vascular indices must be interpreted with caution because of difficulties with standardization.}},
  author       = {{Jokubkiene, Ligita and Sladkevicius, Povilas and Valentin, Lil}},
  issn         = {{1550-9613}},
  keywords     = {{3-dimensional; sonography; ovary; Doppler sonography; ovarian follicle}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{1635--1649}},
  publisher    = {{American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine}},
  series       = {{Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine}},
  title        = {{Number of antral follicles, ovarian volume, and vascular indices in asymptomatic women 20 to 39 years old as assessed by 3-dimensional sonography: a prospective cross-sectional study.}},
  url          = {{http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23011627?dopt=Abstract}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}