Kelsey, T. W., & Wallace, W. H. (2012). Ovarian volume correlates strongly with the number of nongrowing follicles in the human ovary. Obstetrics and Gynecology International, 2012, 305025. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/305025
Kelsey TW, Wallace WH. Ovarian volume correlates strongly with the number of nongrowing follicles in the human ovary. Obstet Gynecol Int. 2012;2012:305025. doi:10.1155/2012/305025
Kelsey, Thomas W., and W. Hamish B. Wallace. "Ovarian volume correlates strongly with the number of nongrowing follicles in the human ovary." Obstetrics and Gynecology International, vol. 2012, 2012, pp. 305025.
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School of Computer Science, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland, Kelsey KY16 9SX, UK
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RRM Academy Synopsis
Ovarian Volume Correlates Strongly With Egg Reserve, Model Shows
In a data study, researchers linked ovary size to egg cells remaining. Using ultrasound data from more than 13,000 women and a separate model of egg-cell decline with age, the model estimates about 1,000 or fewer egg cells for an ovary of 3 cubic centimeters or less. Ovary size and egg-cell count matched closely for women ages 25 to 51.
Key Findings
Mean ovary size and mean egg-cell count matched closely for ages 25 through 51, with a correlation of r = 0.89.
After adjusting both measures to a log scale (same age range, 25 through 51), the match grew stronger, to a correlation of r = 0.99.
An ovary volume near 3 cubic centimeters matched an estimated 1,000 remaining egg cells, based on the study's model.
The model pointed to a steep drop in ovary size between the early thirties and early sixties, with the pace of decline easing by the late forties.
The model's predicted average ovary size at age 24 was 7.8 milliliters, the same figure reached independently by another research team using separate data.
Interpretation
The authors combined two published data sets: ovary-size numbers from a large ovarian cancer screening study of more than 13,000 women, and a separate model of how egg-cell counts fall with age. They compared how closely ovary size tracked the model's egg-cell estimates. The authors note their ovary-size model has not yet been tested against new data. The findings support larger studies using ovarian volume to estimate remaining egg cells.
RRM Context
Ovary size is one way doctors estimate how many egg cells a woman has left. Other ways include antral follicle counts and hormone tests such as AMH. This model turns a simple ultrasound scan into an estimate of remaining egg cells, with no blood test needed. Restorative reproductive medicine favors a cycle-charting-informed evaluation that reads any single number in the context of a woman's whole cycle and health.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
Abstract
A reliable indirect measure of ovarian reserve for the individual woman remains a challenge for reproductive specialists. Using descriptive statistics from a large-scale study of ovarian volumes, we have developed a normative model for healthy females for ages 25 through 85. For average values, this model has a strong and positive correlation (r = 0.89) with our recent model of nongrowing follicles (NGFs) in the human ovary for ages 25 through 51. When both models are log-adjusted, the correlation increases to r = 0.99, over the full range of ovarian volume. Furthermore we can deduce that an ovary of 3 cm(3) volume (or less) contains approximately 1000 NGF (or fewer). These strong correlations indicate that ovarian volume is a useful factor in the indirect estimation of human ovarian reserve for the individual woman.
