Prognostic Role of Ovarian Reserve Testing

The existing quantity of follicles and their response to stimulation at a particular age predicts the ovarian reserve. In vitro fertilization is emerging as a common method of treatment of infertility. This technique is not 100% accurate and puts the patient and the couple in both physical and financial burden. It is important to predict the outcome of a cycle of IVF to counsel a patient prior to proceeding. The ovarian reserve is the main functional component which might guide the outcome. There may be many factors affecting ovarian reserve but the age of the patient is the most important one. Various markers have been utilized to determine ovarian reserve in women which are endocrine, radiological or dynamic tests. No perfect marker has been identified yet but some have proven to be better than the other. This review will discuss the different methods of testing ovarian reserve and the current research that might help the clinician to predict outcome prior to initiating IVF. Keywords: Ovarian reserve, anti mullerian hormone, antral follicle count, basal follicle stimulating hormone, ovarian volume