{"id":106335,"date":"2021-02-16T13:26:45","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T11:26:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/?p=106335"},"modified":"2022-04-12T17:35:18","modified_gmt":"2022-04-12T15:35:18","slug":"antral-follicle-ivf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/antral-follicle-ivf\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a good antral follicle count for IVF?"},"content":{"rendered":"

An antral follicle<\/strong> is the final stage of development of the primordial follicles that are already present in the ovaries of baby girls when they are born. Too miniscule to be seen by the naked eye, there are roughly one million at birth, and these are all the potential eggs a woman is ever going to have. It may sound like a lot, but over the course of a reproductive lifetime, the number diminishes rapidly and in fact about 99% of the follicles are destined to never become mature eggs and disintegrate in the natural wastage known as atresia. Why is the antral follicle count<\/strong> important for IVF? Because this treatment needs multiple follicles, rather than the usual one, to mature and be ready for fertilisation.<\/p>\n

In this article, we will look at the developmental stages of follicles, how antral follicles<\/strong> can be counted, and what is considered a normal antral follicle count by age<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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What are antral follicles?<\/h2>\n

Follicles don\u2019t become antral follicles<\/strong> until the very final stage of their development. They are extremely small to start with, measuring only 25 micrometres, rendering them invisible, both to the naked eye and to any medical system capable of estimating their number. As they start their journey towards maturity, each day some follicles are triggered into growth by hormonal signals. On reaching the tertiary stage, the follicle develops a fluid-filled cavity known as the antrum. Measuring on average around 5 mm, it is now 200 times bigger than when it was a primordial follicle.<\/p>\n

Follicles that have developed to the stage of having an antrum have now become antral follicles<\/strong>. They can be visualised via an ultrasound scan and, although the remaining follicles in the ovaries can\u2019t be physically counted, the number of antral follicles <\/strong>gives a very good estimation of the number of follicles left, that is, your ovarian reserve.<\/p>\n

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Antral follicles \u2013 stages of development<\/h2>\n

On the journey from primordial to antral follicle<\/strong>, which will culminate for just a few in becoming a mature egg, follicles go through a series of stages:<\/p>\n