Jt. Christensen et al., OVARIAN VOLUME IN GYNECOLOGICALLY HEALTHY WOMEN USING NO CONTRACEPTION, OR USING IUD OR ORAL CONTRACEPTION, Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica, 76(8), 1997, pp. 784-789
Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the ovarian volume b
y transvaginal ultrasonography in a gynecologically healthy population
of women using no contraception, using intrauterine contraceptive dev
ice, or using oral contraceptive. Materials and method. The study had
a cross-sectional design. The ovaries of 428 women aged 14-45 who cont
acted the family planning clinic in the county of Funen were examined.
Most of the statistical analyses were carried out using standard tech
niques. However polynominal regression analysis was used to model ovar
ian volumes as a function of the day of cycle. Results. No differences
between the volumes of the right and the left ovary were found in any
of the groups. Significant differences were found between the ovarian
volumes of the three groups. The ovarian volumes were found to be lar
gest in women using intrauterine contraceptive device, lesser in women
using no contraception and smallest in women using oral contraception
. A significant difference was found of the ovarian volumes throughout
the menstrual cycle in women who were not using oral contraception. T
he ovarian volumes did not change throughout the menstrual cycle in wo
men using oral contraception. In women not using oral contraception th
e largest ovary increased in volume from the start of the cycle to day
19, thereafter the volume declined. No evidence of any change of volu
me over the menstrual cycle was found in the smallest ovary and, for w
omen using oral contraception, both ovaries. There was no correlation
between age, height, weight, parity, and ovarian volume in any of the
groups. Conclusion. The ovarian volumes, in gynecologically healthy wo
men using intrauterine contraceptive device, are larger than in women
using no contraception. It appears that oral contraception reduces the
volumes of both ovaries in all phases of the menstrual cycle to equal
levels.