The Effectiveness of Uterine and Ovarian Doppler Velocimetry on Predicting Pregnancy in Clomiphene Citrate Cycles

Abstract

Background: Trans-vaginal color Doppler ultrasonography is a non-invasive and efficient method for imagining small vessels and study of blood flow variations. Change in uterine and ovarian blood flow in PCOS cases is necessary for embryo implantation and good pregnancy rates after treatment with clomiphene citrate. Objectives: The aim of our study is to evaluate the prognostic value of Doppler velocimetries of uterine and ovarian arteries as predictors of successful pregnancy in PCOS patients in clomiphene citrate cycles. Patients and Methods: 150 PCOS patients between 20-35 years old were recruited in the study, they were subjected to measurement of ovarian and uterine Doppler at day 3 of the cycle before treatment with clomiphene citrate and at day 14 of the cycle after treatment, then they were divided according to the occurrence of pregnancy into positive and negative groups, correlations between both groups regarding the ovarian and uterine Doppler results was recorded. Results: Bilateral uterine (PI) and (RI) were significantly decreased (P<0.001) after treatment with clomiphene citrate. While Bilateral Ovarian (PI) and (RI) were non-significantly increased after treatment. (ET) was significantly increased after treatment (P<0.001). Positive clinical pregnancy was in about one tenth of the studied cases. Bilateral uterine RI after treatment was non-significantly lower among positive clinical pregnancy cases. Right uterine RI after treatment ≤0.80 had high NPV and low PPV in prediction of positive clinical pregnancy. Conclusion: both ovarian and uterine Doppler was not prognostic factors for pregnancy in PCOS patients treated with clomiphene citrate.