RELATIONSHIP OF HUMAN FOLLICULAR DIAMETER WITH OOCYTE FERTILIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT AFTER IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION OR INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION

The aim of this work was to evaluate the relationship between follicul ar size at the time of oocyte retrieval, and the subsequent oocyte com petence to be fertilized and to develop in vitro. All the obtained ooc ytes were classified according to the corresponding volume of aspirate d follicular fluid, Aspirated volume of follicular fluid <2 ml corresp onded to a follicular diameter <16 mm and constituted the small size g roup, Volume of follicular fluid from 2 to 6 ml corresponded to a diam eter from 16 to 23 mm and constituted the medium size group, The large size group contained follicles with diameter >23 mm and corresponded to an aspirated volume of follicular fluid of >6 ml, A progressive and significant increase in the rates of oocytes with a first polar body was observed from the small size group to the other groups and from th e medium to the large size group: 75.3, 85.9 and 95.3% respectively, A fter classical in-vitro fertilization (IVF), significantly better rate s of fertilization and development were obtained in the medium size gr oup compared to the two other groups, Moreover, a positive relationshi p was observed between follicular diameter and rates of embryos scored as 'good' when oocytes were fertilized by intracytoplasmic sperm inje ction (ICSI), These results demonstrated that follicular size is posit ively related to the oocyte ability to be fertilized and to develop, A lthough oocytes from small follicles gave lower percentages of develop ment probably due to partial oocyte incompetence, they allowed an incr ease in the total number of embryos scored as 'good'.