Ovulation detection in saliva, is it possible.

BACKGROUND/AIMS The new mini-microscope Geratherm® ovu control was evaluated for its recognition of saliva ferning in a collective of 47 patients taking part in an artificial reproductive technology program on the day of follicular puncture. METHODS The ferning phenomenon was evaluated by patients and laboratory staff according to the criteria: no ferning, slight ferning and good ferning. RESULTS Geratherm® ovu control showed a specificity of 78% and a sensitivity of 80% in relation to rising E2 levels under follicle-stimulating hormone/human chorionic gonadotrophin. A comparison of the evaluations of the saliva test carried out by patients and by laboratory staff resulted in a high and substantial agreement of 89.4% (κ). CONCLUSION Evaluations performed by ovu control were similar to those achieved with a highly sophisticated inverted microscope.