The significance of the number of antral follicles prior to stimulation inpredicting ovarian responses in an IVF programme

Multiple follicular development plays a major role in the successful outcom e of IVF and embryo transfer treatment. Prediction of ovarian responses pri or to stimulation is useful in counselling patients and helpful in tailorin g the dosage of gonadotrophin to individual patients. The objective of this study was to compare age of women, body mass index (BMI), basal FSH concen tration, volume of both ovaries and the number of antral follicles of both ovaries in predicting the number of oocytes obtained. A total of 128 consec utive women, who had no history of ovarian surgery, were non-smokers and un dergoing the first cycle using a standard regimen of ovarian stimulation we re examined. The total number of antral follicles achieved the best predict ive value, followed by basal FSH, BMI and age of women. In those women with fewer antral follicles, a longer duration and higher dosage of human menop ausal gonadotrophin were required but the number of eggs obtained was signi ficantly less than for those with more antral follicles, Significantly more cycles were cancelled before egg collection in women with less than or equ al to 6 antral follicles while more cycles of embryo transfer were postpone d in order to reduce the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in women with >9 antral follicles.