Further Developments on the Dynamics of Ovarian Hypertrophy Available to Purchase

It has been shown (Lipschütz, 1925) that the number of young ova in an hypertrophied ovarian fragment or in a fragment which has increased its volume by formation of cysts, is highly reduced as compared with a normal ovary. This phenomenon is of great significance for the understanding of the dynamics of ovarian hypertrophy. However this statement is not free from objections. If the diminution of young ova in such an ovarian fragment is really caused by the fact that a relatively greater number of young ova are used for follicular development, then there should be in certain cases an almost complete disappearance of young ova. Now there was only one case of a rabbit where this could be ascertained with surety (case B III.); but in this it was not known whether the fragments were not originally so small that the number of young ova was from the beginning a minimal one. As long as no case is available in which an almost complete disappearance of young ova in an increased ovarian fragment had been proved by counting the young ova in all the sections of that fragment, the objection is justified that the diminution of young ova is only an apparent one, the number of young ova originally present being now scattered in a greater volume. Moreover, the diminution of young ova might have been caused not by an increased follicular development but by some local conditions or by the operative interference.