Automated follicle tracking improves measurement reliability in patients undergoing ovarian stimulation.

This study tested the hypothesis that the automated assessment of a stimulated ovary, using 3D ultrasound and sono-AVC (automatic volume calculation), provides quicker analysis of follicular number and size than conventional 2D ultrasound, without any loss in measurement validity. Transvaginal ultrasound was performed on day 10 of stimulation in 89 prospectively recruited subjects undergoing IVF treatment. The number and mean diameter of follicles present in both ovaries was measured manually using 2D ultrasound. 3D data were then acquired and analysed using sono-AVC. Outcome measures included the number of follicles with a mean diameter >9 mm, >13 mm and >17 mm. The time taken for measurements and data acquisition was recorded. The two methods were compared using a paired t-test or the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Complete data were available for 82 subjects. There was no significant difference in the number of follicles with mean diameters >9 mm, >13 mm and >17 mm measured by either method. The total time taken for follicular measurements was significantly less (P < 0.01) for the automated 3D method (180.5 +/- 63.6 versus 236.1 +/- 57.1 s) which was associated with significantly less exposure to ultrasound (39.0 +/- 6.0 versus 236.10 +/- 57.1 s; P < 0.001). Automated 3D follicular measurements using sono-AVC provide a comparable but quicker assessment of follicle number and size.

SonoAVC: a novel method of automatic volume calculation.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the ability of the new software SonoAVC to measure follicular volume and to compare these volume calculations with those made by conventional methods. METHODS: Three-dimensional ultrasound imaging was used to acquire volumetric data from the ovaries of 51 women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation as part of in-vitro fertilization treatment. All assessments were performed on the day of oocyte retrieval and the true volume of each follicle was ascertained by manual measurement of the follicular aspirate. SonoAVC was used to automatically measure the volume of follicles and to provide three perpendicular diameters (xyz diameters), which were used to estimate volume using the sphere formula. The sphere formula was also used to estimate the volume from manual measurements of follicle diameter derived from conventional two-dimensional (2D) displays. Virtual Organ Computer-aided AnaLysis (VOCAL) was also used to measure volume, and the validity of each technique was compared using limits of agreement. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-four follicles with a mean follicular volume of 3.7 (range, 0.4-16.2) cm(3) were studied. SonoAVC provided highly accurate automatic follicular volume measurements in all cases. Volume estimations made from the automatic maximal follicular diameter measurements (xyz diameters) were less valid. VOCAL proved highly valid but was less accurate than SonoAVC. Volumes estimated from manually derived follicular diameter measurements were the least accurate. CONCLUSIONS: SonoAVC provides highly valid, automatic measurements of follicular volume. These measurements are more accurate than volumes estimated from 2D manual measurements, automated measurements of follicular diameter and those calculated using VOCAL.