How anovulation is diagnosed by sonography?
In an anovulatory cycle, ultrasound imaging of the ovaries will reveal either a lack of any follicular development, particularly in the hypogonadotropic hypogonadal patient WHO type I or a few non ovulatory (less than 11 mm) follicles. A dominant follicle larger than 16 mm in diameter will not develop. A cyst may also be associated with anovulation. Anovulation with PCOD will often have enlarged ovaries greater than 8 cm3 in volume with multiple small subcapsular follicles less than 10 mm in diameter. However, normal sized ovaries do not rule out PCOD. Anovulation can be diagnosed when serial scans do not show development of a follicle. A mature corpus luteum is noted sonographically in about 50 percent of patients after ovulation. If pregnancy does not occur the corpus luteum generally degenerates and disappears just before menstruation. Corpus luteum cysts may be 4 to 6 cms in diamter and occasionally even large but are more commonly 2.5 to 3 cms in diameter. They may persist for 4 t
