Evaluation of the ultrasound image attributes of developing ovarian follicles in the four follicular waves of the interovulatory interval in ewes.

Computer-assisted quantitative echotextural analysis was applied to ultrasound images of antral follicles in the follicular waves of an interovulatory interval in sheep. The ewe has three or four waves per cycle. Seven healthy, cyclic Western White Face ewes (Ovis aris) underwent daily, transrectal, ovarian ultrasonography for an interovulatory interval. Follicles in the third wave of the ovulatory interval had a longer static phase than that of those in Waves 1 and 2 (P<0.05). The numeric pixel value for the wall of anovulatory follicles emerging in the third wave of the cycle was significantly higher than that for Waves 1 and 2 at the time of emergence (156.7+/-8.09, 101.6+/-3.72, and 116.5+/-13.93, respectively), and it decreased as follicles in Wave 3 reached maximum follicular diameter (P<0.05). The numeric pixel value of the antrum in the ovulatory follicles decreased as follicular diameter increased to > or =5mm in diameter (P<0.05). The pixel heterogeneity of the follicular antrum in Wave 1 increased from the end of the growth phase to the end of the regression phase for follicles in that wave (P<0.05). The total area for the wall and antrum of the follicles studied were correlated with follicular diameter in all follicular waves (r=0.938, P<0.01 and r=0.941, P<0.01 for the wall and antrum, respectively). Changes in image attributes of the follicular wall and antrum indicate potential morphologic and functional differences among antral follicles emerging at different stages of the interovulatory interval in cyclic ewes.