A modern woman is increasingly hearing a disappointing diagnosis from her gynecologist - "infertility." Doctors have long dealt with the issue of optimal assistance to women in matters of motherhood. The reason, which forced a detailed study and study of antral follicles in women, was the process of artificial insemination. The guarantee of an effective, positive result of fertilization will depend not only on the age of the woman, but also on their number.
Significance and functions for the female body
For many women, the question is: antral follicles in the ovaries - what is it, becomes relevant. While still in the womb, each woman receives her stock of germ cells. Throughout a woman’s life, primordial follicles are constantly decreasing, germ cells are dying, and the speed is increasing every new year.
The most accelerated period, doctors call teenage and pre-climatic. And the last one is 36-37 years old.
Given these features and the fairly young age of women - 37 years old - doctors made the discovery that antral follicles can be counted using an ultrasound machine. The size of such follicles can vary from 2 to 8 mm, while the method of counting is always reliable.
Having done the research, you can completely establish the number of follicles, which are the precursors of egg formation. Such procedures made it possible to exclude microscopic analysis of the ovaries, establish an ovarian reserve in women , and predict the number of eggs that can be fertilized immediately.
How many follicles are the norm?
The number and norm of follicles is an assessment of the upcoming superovulation in IVF. It is these indicators that will enable a woman to be guaranteed to become pregnant and have long-awaited children.
There are established standards on the basis of which doctors can talk about a woman's high chances of a desired pregnancy or prescribe additional hormone therapy.
If a woman has 1-4 antral follicles, then the chances of pregnancy are equal to 0. Neither hormone therapy nor IVF will help such women.
If the indicators range from 4 to 10, there is a chance of becoming pregnant if powerful hormone therapy is performed . But as medical research shows, the chances of success are very, very low.
Indicators from 11 to 14 provide an opportunity to think about the baby and get the desired pregnancy. It is enough to carry out the right stimulation.
With indicators from 15 to 20, we can talk about high chances of a positive result. Correct hormone therapy is enough, and the woman will be pregnant in a short time.
With indicators of 20 and above, you should already talk about therapy, which will help to get not only healthy, but also high-quality eggs.
Follicle size indicators: norm and pathology
As soon as a woman begins menstruation, the doctor can determine the size of the follicle by day of the cycle. Every month, several follicles matures in the body at once.
On the 5th day of the cycle, a woman can see up to 10 antral follicles 2-4 mm in size. Their location is the periphery of the ovary.
By the 7th day, the size increases to 6 mm, while a network of blood capillaries on the surface is already visible.
The 8th day is the definition of dominant follicles, they will continue further maturation and will increase in size.
On the 9-10th day, the doctor can diagnose a dominant follicle by its size of 14-15 mm, all the rest that have stopped growing will be within 8 mm.
11th day - the size reaches 16 mm. 12-13th day - the size increases by 2.2 mm, the production of a large number of estrogens begins.
14th day - follicle diameter already reaches 25 mm. When conducting an ultrasound, the doctor can clearly determine the size of the follicle by the days of the cycle, see signs of imminent ovulation.
The 15-16th day is ovulation, in which the follicle ruptures, and the egg leaves for fertilization.
How to calculate the number of follicles according to the size of the ovary?
It is also possible to diagnose the number of follicles by the size of the ovaries. For the doctor, an ultrasound examination will be enough, which will give data on the width, length, thickness of the organ. Calculation of the result can be obtained by the following formula: all indicators are added together. If the final result is less than 8, then the reserve is very low, there is no success in successful fertilization.
With indicators above 12, we can talk about success and carry out artificial insemination.
Blood counts as a diagnostic option
Some gynecologists use blood test data. The lower the AMG (antimululated hormone) values, the smaller the reserve of follicles for the release of an egg.
Persistent follicle - risk of serious pathology
Some women cannot become pregnant for a long time, and with ultrasound, they diagnose an ovarian cyst. A persistent follicle always leads to such consequences.
This is a dominant follicle that develops until the moment when it needs to burst. Since the persistent follicle does not allow the egg to go outside, ovulation does not occur. The reason for such phenomena may be hormonal imbalance, an excess of testosterone. As a result, women are diagnosed with infertility.
To enable the egg to go outside, women with a persistent follicle are offered to undergo hormone therapy.
An integrated approach also includes stimulation of the pelvic organs with massages, ultrasound or a laser.
Why can women lack follicles?
Some women of childbearing age face a problem when antral follicles are completely absent. The cause of this phenomenon is an early menopause or ovarian dysfunction. The first sign of a violation is always menstruation. If they do not pass within the range of 21 to 35 days, this is a sure sign of the development of pathology. It is necessary to immediately consult a doctor for diagnosis and hormone therapy.
Also, the cause of the death of the egg and follicles can be:
- operations on the pelvic organs;
- the use of medicines that violate the microcirculation of the blood in the reproductive system;
- transferred chemo or radiation therapy;
- bad habits (alcohol, smoking);
- malnutrition, diet, or starvation;
- hormonal disbalance.
Every woman should understand that from her very birth a certain number of follicles are embedded inside, which with age will allow her to have children. Having discovered the first signs of infertility or problems with the reproductive system, you should immediately contact a specialist for diagnosis and further treatment.