Close monitoring of which hormone occurs during ovulation induction therapy?

• A. Estradiol
• B. Progesterone
• C. LH
• D. FSH

Answer: (A)

Monitoring estradiol during ovulation induction is essential because estradiol is produced by the growing follicles. As the follicles mature in response to the stimulating hormones, granulosa cells secrete estrogen, so the serum estradiol level rises in proportion to the number and maturity of developing follicles. Tracking this pattern helps clinicians adjust medication doses to encourage follicular development while reducing the risk of overstimulation and to determine the appropriate time to trigger ovulation.

Progesterone reflects what happens after ovulation, not the follicular growth during induction. LH is important for triggering ovulation and can be relevant in certain protocols, but it doesn’t provide as reliable a measure of follicular response as estradiol. FSH dosing guides stimulation, but estradiol offers the best real-time picture of how the ovaries are responding.