Role of Ultrasound in Female Infertility

ABSTRACT Ultrasound has become an important tool for the diagnosis of female infertilityby demonstrating pelvic organs ,growing ovarian follicles and cyclical changes in the endometrium during the menstrual cycle .Ultrasound particularly can demonstrate ovarian flow and resistance of flow and many other parameters affecting the follicular growth .In assisted reproductive technology(ART) ultrasound is indispensable tool for the monitoring of ovarian follicles after hormone stimulation ,ovum pick up ,embryo transfer and also thereafter. The average diameter offollicles is measured. Among the study conducted itis found that ovulation induction will be successful if preovulatory follicular diameter was between 18 to 24 mm. The risk of overstimulation can be assessed with ultrasound. The detection of ovulationis the most important step in management of infertility . Ultrasound is more important for determining the time of ovulation than othermethods like basal body temperature or hormonal studies. Ultrasound is also important for visualization of uterine size-position, fallopian tubesand any congenital anomalies of genitourinary system. In the uterus it has very important role for endometrium ,the physiological changes occurring in endometrium during the menstrual cycle. Female infertility is multifactorial in origin ,ultrasound plays an important role in female infertility work up with hysterosalpingography(HSG), sonohysterography and MRI, each playing a complimentary role in screening ,diagnosis and management of female infertility.