Objective: To evaluate whether ovarian perifollicular blood flow (PFBF) varies by ultrasound among women with polycystic and normal ovaries undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Design: Prospective observational cohort study of women undergoing IVF treatment.
Setting: Department of reproductive medicine at a university teaching hospital.
Patient(s): Thirty four women with regular spontaneous ovulatory menstrual cycles undergoing IVF divided into two groups according to findings on a baseline transvaginal ultrasound scan: group 1 consisted of 20 women with ultrasound-evident normal ovaries (USNO group), and group 2 consisted of 14 women with ultrasound-evident polycystic ovaries (USPCO group).
Intervention(s): Serial transvaginal power Doppler ultrasound assessments throughout the follicular phase of ovarian stimulation.
Main outcome measure(s): Ovarian PFBF and ovarian stromal artery pulsatility index.
Result(s): Women with USPCO had a significantly lower ovarian stromal artery pulsatility index at the time of the first ultrasound assessment before starting the FSH injections compared with USNO women. However, there was no difference in ovarian PFBF between women with USPCO and USNO during the follicular phase of ovarian stimulation for IVF.
Conclusion(s): There is no difference in ovarian follicular vascularity between women with polycystic and normal ovaries during ovarian stimulation at IVF treatment.