Automated assessment of ovarian follicles using a novel three-dimensional ultrasound software

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy, efficiency, and applicability of a new automated method of follicular assessment. DESIGN: Retrospective review of three-dimensional ultrasonographic ovarian volumes. SETTING: Academic center. PATIENT(S): Three-dimensional ovarian volumes from patients undergoing IVF. INTERVENTION(S): Three-dimensional volumes of gonadotropin-stimulated ovaries and simulated ovarian follicles (SOFs) of known volume were evaluated with the new automated follicular assessment software (SonoAVC). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): [1] Maximum absolute error for the SonoAVC in assessing the volumes of the SOFs; [2] correlations between the automated and manual follicular measurements; [3] time required to analyze all of the follicles in a given ovarian volume. RESULT(S): The SOF of 4, 6, and 10 mm were evaluated. The SonoAVC's maximum absolute error for the volumes of the 4, 6, and 10 mm SOFs was 0 (0%), 0.01 (8.3%), and 0.02 (3.8%) cc, respectively. Three hundred forty-seven follicles, ranging in diameter from 2.3-32 mm, were evaluated. The correlation coefficient for the SonoAVC-generated relaxed follicular diameter and the manual measured mean follicular diameter was 0.99. The time required to analyze all of the follicles in a given ovarian volume for the automated and manual method was 133 versus 361 seconds, respectively. CONCLUSION(S): The SonoAVC proved to be a very accurate and efficient way to measure ovarian follicles. The measurements obtained by the SonoAVC correlated extremely well with the manual measurements we obtained.