[Gynecologic Doppler ultrasonography]

The resistance of the vessel of the ovarian artery changes during the cycle. At the time of ovulation the resistance of the vessel of the ovarian artery decreases under the influence of steroid production in the ovary. The resistance decreases and the blood flow increases. In our study we could show that women with a normal cycle have low pulsatility indices in the ovarian arteries when oestradiol is rising. In women with PCO-Syndrome the blood flow in the ovarian artery is very low in spite of the fact that the patients got hormonal treatment. On the day of follicular puncture in our IVF-group and also on the day before, the pulsatility-index of the ovarian artery was very high in patients with PCO-Syndrome and it was significantly lower in patients with normal cycle. The women with PCO-Syndrome had also low oestradiol levels in the plasma. In the group with PCO-Syndrome no woman became pregnant, women with high oestradiol levels and low PI of the ovarian artery at the time of follicular puncture became pregnant in 19%.