title: [Ovarian follicular maldevelopment in infertile women].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the manifestation and outcome of ovarian follicular maldevelopment (FM) in infertile women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 296 infertile women, 80 cases with FM were taken as study group and 20 with normal ovulation as control. Serial B-ultrasonography, cervical mucus scoring, serum estradiol (E2) assay and laparoscopy, endometrium histology were monitored in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of FM in infertile women was 27.0%, B-ultrasonography showed many small and obscure outlined follicles in the ovarian. The maximum and mean cervical mucus socres in FM group were < 9 and 7.3 +/- 1.8, significantly lower than those in control (> 10, 13.2 +/- 1.8) (P < 0.01). So were the midcycle serum E2 levels (300 +/- 100 pmol/L vs 900 +/- 400 pmol/L, P < 0.001). No stigma was found in two-third of FM patients and no corpus luteum in about one-third. Proliferative endometrium was shown in 34.0% of the FM group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (1) FM with an incidence of 27.0% might be an important cause of infertility. (2) FM results finally in follicular atresia or multiple immature luteinized follicles.
authors.affiliation: Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Diao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005496:Follicular Atresia; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography