The salivary ferning test and ovulation in clomiphene citrate-stimulated cycles

To determine the day of ovulation by the salivary ferning test in clomiphene citrate-treated women.

A descriptive study.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Seventy-five infertile women with regular menstrual cycles.

Infertile women were given 100 mg of clomiphene citrate for five days and collected their saliva samples daily until seven days after ovulation. Transvaginal ultrasound was performed daily to detect ovulation. The salivary ferning formation was examined by a normal light microscope and graded from 1-3, according to its extent and intensity.

The salivary ferning score, the peak salivary ferning day, and the day of ovulation detected by ultrasound.

The patients' age and cycle length (mean +/- SD) were 32.9 +/- 3.7 years and 28.4 +/- 1.3 days. The peak salivary ferning day corresponded with the ultrasound ovulation day in only 7.1%. There were two peaks of median salivary ferning scores; one was two days prior ovulation and the other was five days post ovulation. There was no correlation between the peak salivary ferning day and day of ovulation detected by ultrasound (r = 0.102, p > 0.05).

In clomiphene citrate-stimulated cycles, the saliva ferning test does not seem to associate with ovulation.