![\"do-all-follicles-have-eggs?](\"https:\/\/alexroblesmd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/do-all-follicles-have-eggs.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\nHow often is there no egg in a follicle?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Up to 20% or more of the follicles in an IVF treatment cycle do not yield an egg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This number can be higher in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with a high antral follicle count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why do some follicles not have eggs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There can be many possible reasons why an egg is not retrieved from a follicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In general, the bigger the follicle, the more likely it is to yield an egg. Follicles that remain small throughout the stimulation are less likely to produce eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some women may also have empty follicle syndrome, a rare condition in which no eggs are retrieved following IVF stimulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One study found a correlation between empty follicles and diminished or low ovarian reserve (DOR). <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, the lower your reserve, the higher the chance of having empty follicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DOR can be detected by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other researchers believe that empty follicles might be due to early oocyte atresia<\/a>. This means that the egg cells degenerate as a result of abnormal or inadequate follicular growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With that said, there is some debate as to whether these follicles are truly empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So let’s cover some of the other reasons why eggs may not be collected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some researchers believe that the follicles that don’t yield eggs do have eggs, but the egg does not detach from the follicular wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This could be due to incomplete follicular\/oocyte maturity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A second reason is premature ovulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although rare, your follicles may rupture and release the egg before the egg retrieval<\/a>. The risk of premature ovulation increases if your retrieval is delayed from when it is supposed to happen<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, there are other technical reasons why an egg may not be collected from a follicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes, a follicle can often be challenging to access. It can be very deep in the abdomen, next to a fibroid, or behind the uterus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no way to determine if a follicle contains an egg until it is retrieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The diagnosis is always retrospective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that said, extremes of sizes usually indicate that the follicle is less likely to yield an egg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Abnormally large follicles are frequently cysts, which by definition do not contain eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, smaller follicles usually have not reached a big enough size to produce viable eggs. Even if an egg is retrieved from a small follicle, it is unlikely to be a mature egg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A mature egg has successfully divided its DNA in half and only contains 23 chromosomes instead of 46.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other 23 chromosomes are extruded as a polar body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An immature egg<\/a> has not yet divided its DNA and still contains all 46 maternal chromosomes. As a result, immature eggs cannot be fertilized, as it needs to accept 23 chromosomes from the sperm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monitoring the size of your ovarian follicles through transvaginal ultrasound is the best way to predict if an egg will be mature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larger follicles are more likely to produce eggs that will reach full maturity. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you had a low proportion of mature eggs in a previous cycle, your doctor might decide to let your follicles grow a little bigger the next time. Also, using a different type of trigger shot<\/a> may help increase the eggs’ final maturation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I discuss follicles in a lot more detail in this post.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n All of your eggs are stored in structures called primordial follicles. Your eggs reside in these structures until they are recruited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During a normal menstrual cycle, several of these primordial follicles develop into antral follicles. Usually, only one dominant follicle is allowed to continue its growth and gets released during ovulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other antral follicles regress and degenerate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The number of antral follicles you have at the beginning of a menstrual cycle correlates with your ovarian reserve and the number of potential eggs that would be available for retrieval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are under 35 years of age, approximately 6-10 antral follicles per ovary are within the expected range of normal ovarian reserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOther reasons why some eggs are not collected<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How do I know if my follicles contain eggs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is the difference between mature eggs and immature eggs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"picture](\"https:\/\/alexroblesmd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/mature-oocyre-polar-body.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat is the treatment for immature follicles?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Are eggs always stored in follicles?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How many follicles are normal in each ovary?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"picture](\"https:\/\/alexroblesmd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Typical-IVF-Cycle-1018x1024.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"picture](\"https:\/\/alexroblesmd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/follicles.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"alex](\"https:\/\/alexroblesmd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/alex-robles-md.jpeg\")
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