Does Follicular Study bring up a lot of questions in your mind?
Are you worried about how long follicular study is done for, its procedure, its cycles, and much more?
Let’s dive into some of the very important follicular study facts in this blog.
By performing multiple transvaginal scans, also known as follicular study or folliculometry, your fetal medicine specialist can monitor the development of a follicle as ovulation occurs through a regular menstrual cycle from day 9 to day 20. Let’s learn more about it in this blog.
Table of Contents
How many cycles of follicular study are done?
It is advised that a woman undergo 4-6 scans throughout her typical menstrual cycle. By doing this, it is possible to pinpoint the precise moment of ovulation, which can be seen on the scan when the follicle vanishes from view or when the follicle walls collapse or become irregular.
It takes only five to ten minutes to complete a scan. Patients get a report outlining the findings from their doctor after a wait time or sometimes, after a day or two.
Different stages of follicular scan
To understand how many times a follicular scan is done, you need to understand the various stages involved in it. The baseline scan is the first examination. It aids the physician in comprehending the follicle’s embryonic stage.
The physician then plans scans for the appropriate times to monitor the growth of uterine follicles. During each scan, the uterine lining and follicle growth are examined, and this gives the doctor a clear idea of when the woman will ovulate. Let’s get into their detail.
The baseline scan or the initial scan
Ideally performed on days 2 and 3 of your menstrual cycle, this scan studies;
- Antral follicle count, which represents the ovarian reserve (PCO/DOR)
- Simple cysts/cysts from endometriosis
- Fibroids
- Evaluation of the endometrial cavity
Scan on days 9–10
A scan is then performed to assess the development of a follicle, which is a thin-walled structure with fluid and an egg attached to the inner side of the membrane. On the scan, the follicle appears as a black bubble that expands by 1-2 mm daily.
Scan performed around days 11–13
This scan reveals a dominant follicle with a diameter of approximately 17 to 25 mm, a good perivascular flow of >90%, and a resistance index of less than 0.1. A good quality should have optimal size, which denotes a healthy ovum, and good blood flow.
Along with the dominant follicle, the endometrium should be 7 to 10 mm thick and well-vascularized. It is possible to create a 3D image of the cavity to rule out any indenting lesions, such as polyps or fibroids, etc.
Day 14–16 ovulation check scan
Ovulation is indicated by the disappearance of the dominant follicle and the appearance of an irregularly walled cystic structure on subsequent scans. Additionally, the P.O.D. contains some fluid that denotes ovulation.
Follicular scans take about fifteen to twenty minutes to complete, but preparations must begin a few hours beforehand. If you work with the doctor and adhere to the sonographer’s instructions, the entire procedure may even only take ten minutes. For a cycle to accurately predict the time of ovulation, four to six scans are typically performed.
What are the benefits of the follicular study?
Several follicle scans are performed throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle, typically between days 9 and 20. The scan determines when an egg is released from a ruptured follicle. Follicle scans can also be used for the purposes listed below:
- Follicles that don’t develop until they rupture can be identified.
- Some follicles never develop. The scans assist in finding them.
- Some follicles that are dominant do not rupture.
- It’s possible that the endometrial lining is either too thin or too poor quality.
- For assisted conception, scans can assist with ovulation timing prediction.
- They aid in directing ovulation-inducing medication or injection treatments.
- To find issues like OHSS and other complications.
- Lastly, luteal phase deficiency can be found using follicular scans.
Our gynaecologist-obstetricians at Jammi scans closely monitor these problems to ensure that, should anything go wrong, it can be found and fixed right away. Book an appointment now.
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