Summary. Follicular

Summary.-The ovaries of leukaemic children were studied in 31 specimens obtained at autopsy. Twenty-eight ovaries from normal children of the same age who died from misadventure served as control. All ovaries from normal children showed follicle growth and contained several large antral follicles.Follicle development was inhibited in all ovaries of leukaemic children; 22% showed no follicle growth (quiescent ovaries), and in the ovaries in which there was follicle development, the number and size of antral follicles was significantly smaller than in the control. All children had been treated with cytotoxic drugs, the duration of the treatment being correlated with the stage of ovarian development. The ovaries of children treated for only 1 week were near-normal, while those treated for more than 2 months showed inhibition of follicle growth. It is argued that the disturbance in follicle development is an effect of the cytotoxic drugs, and not an effect of the disease itself.

The development of the ovary during childhood has been evaluated in 52 organs obtained from autopsy of children who died in accidents or after a brief acute disease. The ovaries at all ages showed follicle growth. 93 % of the organs were actively growing ovaries containing healthy and degenerating follicles in progressive stages of development with and without follicle fluid. Three ovaries showed follicle growth up to pre-antral stages. None of the 52 ovaries were quiescent in which follicle development was not in progress. It is therefore argued that the normal ovary in childhood shows follicle growth at all ages. The number and size of antral follicles increases after the age of 6 years coinciding with the progressive increase in FSH and oestrogen output in childhood.

Summary.-The ovaries of children with abdominal tumours were studied in 12 autopsy specimens. Ovaries from 25 children who died in accidents or after a short acute disease served as controls. All ovaries from normal children showed follicle growth, but follicle development was inhibited in 67% of the children with abdominal tumours.The effect of treatment with cytotoxic drugs and/or abdominal irradiation on ovarian morphology was investigated. Normal ovaries were found only in children who had received no chemotherapy or a short course. All patients who had been treated with radiation therapy either alone or in conjunction with chemotherapy had severely damaged ovaries: follicle growth was inhibited in all cases, and the number of small non-growing follicles was markedly reduced in most. It is argued that abdominal irradiation might impair follicle development as well as destroy small follicles.

Summary. The