The assessment of normal and abnormal luteal function by transvaginal color Doppler sonography.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate intraovarian resistance index (RI) in 47 healthy fertile volunteers with ovulatory cycles, 28 patients with luteal phase defect (LPD) and four patients with luteinized unruptured follicle (LUF Sy).


METHODS
Transvaginal color Doppler assessment of the follicular and corpus luteum blood flow and plasma progesterone (P) levels were obtained in each patient.


RESULTS
Significantly higher intraovarian artery RI (< 0.001) was obtained for LPD group than for controls during the luteal phase. In the control group both follicular and corpus luteum RI were significantly lower (P < 0.001) on the dominant side, while in LPD group no difference (P > 0.05) between the sides occurred. Mean P levels were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in the LPD group (6.9 +/- 2.3 ng/ml) than in controls (24.1 +/- 11.4 ng/ml). In all the LPD patients histopathology revealed delayed endometrial pattern, while normal endometrial dating was found in all the evaluated patients form the control group (n = 15). In the patients with LUF Sy (n = 4) similar RI values were obtained in the follicular and corpus luteum phase. There was no difference between the sides in terms of the intraovarian RI, while subnormal values of P were obtained in all the examined patients (14.1 +/- 6.2 ng/ml).


CONCLUSIONS
Transvaginal color Doppler may predict the function capacity of the corpus luteum.
Kupesic
S
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School University of Zagreb, Croatia.
Kurjak
A
A
D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000098:blood supply; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014621:Vagina; D014655:Vascular Resistance
D011374:Progesterone