Ovulation Disorders

See a fertility specialist now
If you are trying to get pregnant and suspect ovulation or infertility problems time is important. Don't wait, see a specialist (reproductive endocrinologist) for a consultation.

Poor quality ovulation can affect the fertility of even women with regular menstrual periods. We spoke with Dr. George Koulianos, Director of The Center for Reproductive Medicine in Alabama, for this primer on ovulation disorders, a relatively common cause of female infertility.

Ovulation disorder, a term that refers to infrequent or absent ovulation (anovulation), typically results in infrequent periods (oligomenorrhea). The results are:

  • fewer opportunities to conceive
  • difficulty detecting a woman's fertile periods
  • eggs not breaking through the follicle
  • eggs being released off-sync with other factors crucial to fertilization or implantation

Some typical causes of ovulation disorders include:

  • hypothalamic dysfunction
  • hyperprolactinemiav
  • polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
  • luteal phase defect
  • tumors of the pituitary or adrenal glands or ovaries

Less typical causes of ovulation disorder are:

  • Primary ovarian failure (POF)
  • Resistant ovary syndrome
  • Autoimmune oophoritis

Diagnosis

In general, assessment for ovulation disorders may begin with the following lab tests:

  • serum FSH
  • serum LH
  • serum prolactin
  • serum testosterone
  • free androgen index

and may also include:

  • CAT scan or MRI scan of pituitary and hypothalamus
  • endometrial biopsyv
  • ovarian biopsy
  • more specific antibody tests (antithyroid, adrenal, islet-cell, gastric parietal cell)

Treatment

Treatments vary with the conclusion after diagnostic testing. In general, the treatments may include:

  • use of ovulation-inducing fertility medications
  • use of other drugs more specific to the diagnosed cause
  • nutritional adjustment
  • stress reduction
  • surgery (in the case of tumors)

Only primary ovarian failure and the related conditions of resistant ovary syndrome and autoimmune oophoritis are considered untreatable in regards to fertility.

If you have irregular or absent menses, seeking appropriate diagnosis and treatment is crucial to your goal of getting pregnant. Even if your periods are regular, however, the quality of your ovulatory cycle may be assessed in order to guide treatment decisions.

Links:

Dr. George Koulianos

The Center for Reproductive Medicine in Alabama

See a fertility specialist now
If you are trying to get pregnant and suspect ovulation or infertility problems time is important. Don't wait, see a specialist (reproductive endocrinologist) for a consultation.