Nitschke-Dabelstein, S., Hackelöer, B. J., & Sturm, G. (1981). Ovulation and corpus luteum formation observed by ultrasonography. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, 7(1), 33-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-5629(81)90020-x
Nitschke-Dabelstein S, Hackelöer BJ, Sturm G. Ovulation and corpus luteum formation observed by ultrasonography. Ultrasound Med Biol. 1981;7(1):33-39. doi:10.1016/0301-5629(81)90020-x
Nitschke-Dabelstein, S., et al. "Ovulation and corpus luteum formation observed by ultrasonography." Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, vol. 7, no. 1, 1981, pp. 33-39.
For EndNote, Zotero or Mendeley:
License
No open license is recorded for this paper. Reuse terms are set by the publisher.
Frequent Ultrasound Scans Can Reveal Hidden Ovulation Problems
This case series scanned 10 women with ultrasound every 8 to 12 hours around ovulation. Some cycles were natural. Others used fertility drugs. One follicle showed no collapse on scans, yet hormone and temperature signs resembled ovulation.
Key Findings
10 women were scanned every 8 to 12 hours once a follicle grew past 16 mm; 4 cycles were natural and 6 used fertility drugs.
After ovulation, the fluid-filled area inside the ovary usually got smaller over repeated scans, staying under 18 mm through the luteal phase.
In one case, repeated scans found no visible follicle collapse. Yet progesterone rose above the usual threshold for confirming ovulation, and body temperature stayed high for 6 days.
In about half of the gonadotropin-treated cycles, more than one follicle grew at once. This could make it hard to tell which follicle's collapse marked ovulation.
One gonadotropin-treated case showed a cystic corpus luteum with lutein cysts. The usual luteal picture is a small cystic structure. Authors note cystic development can occur, especially with clomiphene or gonadotropin treatment.
Interpretation
This is a small case series from 1981. The study is not a controlled trial. Ten women took part. Some results come from single example cases. They are not counts across the whole group. The scanning gear and hormone tests are decades old. When several follicles grew at once, ultrasound alone could struggle to show which one had ruptured. The team measured hormone levels in every case to confirm ovulation. One case showed no visible follicle rupture, and temperature signs resembled an ovulatory cycle with weak luteal function. Ultrasound may catch patterns that temperature charts alone would miss, but only this one example case shows it.
RRM Context
This early ultrasound work is part of the evidence for pairing cycle scans with hormone tracking. Together they can catch ovulation problems that temperature charts miss. One example is a luteinized unruptured follicle. NaProTechnology uses serial ultrasound with hormone testing guided by cycle charting. The pairing checks for ovulation problems directly. A temperature chart alone is not treated as proof that ovulation happened.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
01rdrb571 