ABSTRACT
Detection and accurate prediction of ovulation are two of the main problems in the management of female infertility. The technique employed for the ultrasound monitoring of follicular growth is more or less the same as for the routine scanning of gynecological patients. Monitoring of follicular growth and ovulation by ultrasound should be started on day 9 or 10 of a regular 28-d menstrual cycle. The basic ultrasonic parameter for the assessment of follicular maturation is the diameter of the dominant follicle. Although the main morphological changes related to the menstrual cycle concern the ovaries, important findings are also demonstrated in the pouch of Douglas and uterine mucosa. During the luteal phase of the cycle, the corpus luteum can be seen in approximately 60% of patients. The ultrasonic appearance of polycystic ovaries is associated with the disease in 75 to 96% of cases. The most important complication of ovulation induction is hyperstimulation.
