BLOOD-FLOW CHANGES IN UTERINE AND OVARIAN VASCULATURE, AND PREDICTIVEVALUE OF TRANSVAGINAL PULSED COLOR DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN AN IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION PROGRAM

The role of transvaginal pulsed colour Doppler ultrasound in the predi ction of the outcome of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) therapy was asses sed longitudinally in 30 patients during stimulated cycles. The pulsat ility index (PI) of the uterine arteries did not change significantly until the mid-luteal phase, Within 6 days after the beginning of stimu lation the maximum peak systolic velocity of the uterine blood how had increased significantly from 27.6 +/- 8.9 to 36 +/- 12.8 cm/s. No dif ference was found in uterine PI between pregnant and non-pregnant wome n, The PI of intra-ovarian flow was also similar in both groups, Howev er, there was an insignificant increase in uterine receptivity when th e PI of the uterine artery was between 2.0 and 2.99 on the day of embr yo transfer. Nevertheless, the appraisal of the prognostic outcome of the treatment could not be made with Doppler.