In a woman's body, cyclical changes constantly occur, which are controlled by her hormones. Thanks to this, the beautiful half of humanity has the opportunity to become a mother. But for this it is necessary that in its ovaries an ovulation occurs, the egg cell matured and fertilized with the sperm. In the first phase of the cycle in the ovary a woman has several follicles ripening, but only one of them reaches the right size, which is called dominant. It is in it that the egg ripens. Then there is a rupture, the yellow body remains in the ovary, and liquid in the small pelvis. In the fallopian tube, the sexual cell of a woman enters, that is, ovulation takes place.
Planning pregnancies for a long time women usually receive a referral from gynecologists to folliculometry. So called ultrasound, which tracks the maturation of follicles in the ovary, the appearance of the dominant and its rupture, that is, there is monitoring of ovulation. But sometimes a woman is diagnosed with a "follicle persistence", which sounds very confusing and frightening to the patients. This is the name for the continuation of the follicle, which ripens to the required size, but its rupture and, consequently, ovulation does not occur. Thus, the egg is not fertilized and the long-awaited pregnancy does not occur. The persistent follicle exists for 7-10 days of the menstrual cycle, then menstrual bleeding begins. There are cases when a woman has a significant delay in menstruation (up to 1.5 months). The follicle itself often degenerates into a cyst.
Follicle Persistence: Causes
Since the function of childbearing is regulated by hormones, it is their imbalance that leads to the appearance of such a serious pathology as the persistence of the dominant follicle. The first phase of the female cycle is regulated by estrogens, thanks to which the growth and maturation of follicles in the ovary occurs. In a healthy woman with the maturation of the follicle and the onset of ovulation, the estrogen level should decrease, and the level of luteinizing hormone should rise. Then the dominant follicle bursts, and the ovule descends into the fallopian tube. And if the hormones are not set at the proper level, the persistence of the mature follicle develops. By the way, the problem is similar to the persistence of the yellow body, in which the level of luteinizing hormone is increased. The yellow body exists for a long time, and then also degenerates into a cyst.
Symptoms of follicle persistence
Doctors can recognize the problem by the following symptoms:
- elevated estrogen levels and reduced levels of progesterone in the blood;
- Detection of the follicle with ultrasound for a long time;
- The absence of the main signs of ovulation: the yellow body and fluid in the anterior space.
In addition, the symptoms of follicle persistence include frequent menstruation for several months and its excessive abundance when it occurs.
Follicle Persistence: Treatment
Women with this pathology are prescribed, in the first place, drugs that promote the establishment of normal hormonal
- progesterone, rotol or norkolut intramuscularly 9 days before the expected menstruation within 5-7 days;
- drugs that suppress estrogens: clostilbegite, clomid, tamoxifen from the fifth to the ninth day of the cycle for several months.
Also, non-drug treatment is provided in the form of stimulation of the pelvic organs by electrostimulation, ultrasound, gynecological massage and laser therapy.
Monthly monitoring is required in the form of folliculometry and the delivery of hormone tests to monitor the success of treatment.