Power Doppler assessment of follicle vascularity at the time of oocyte retrieval in in vitro fertilization cycles

Objective

To assess the practicality of using power Doppler (PD) to assess follicular vascularity at the time of oocyte retrieval.

Design

Prospective study.

Setting

University-affiliated IVF unit.

Patient(s)

Twenty-six women undergoing IVF treatment.

Intervention(s)

Evaluation of follicular vascularity by using PD during oocyte retrieval.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Subjective assessment of the impact of PD estimation of follicle vascularity during oocyte retrieval; reproducibility of grading of follicle vascularity.

Result(s)

Assessment of follicle vascularity by using PD during oocyte retrieval was found to be reproducible and to add minimally to the workload of the clinician and embryologist. The grade of follicle vascularity did not correlate with the yield of oocytes, fertilization rate, or concentration of hormones in follicular fluid. Although the study group was small, there was a statistically significant trend toward higher clinical pregnancy rates when the embryo transfer cohort contained at least one embryo from a highly vascular follicle (50% vs. 15.4%).

Conclusion(s)

Assessment of follicle vascularity by using PD at the time of oocyte retrieval was found to be a practical alternative to other methods.

Key Words: Power Doppler, IVF, follicular vascularity, pregnancy rate, ultrasound