The Normal Development of the Ovary in Childhood

Abstract

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.

Morphological study of the ovaries of leukaemic children

“…This confirms previous observations that follicle growth and atresia occur throughout infancy and childhood (Block, 1952;Valdes-Dapena, 1967;Lintern-Moore et al, 1974;Peters, et al, 1975Peters, et al, , 1976 The present findings show that most of the ovaries of leukaemic children were abnormal. Leukaemic infiltration of the ovary occurred in only one case.…”

“…NORMAL development of the ovary during infancy and childhood is characterized by follicle growth and atresia (Block, 1952;Valdes-Dapena, 1967;Lintern-Moore et al, 1974;Peters et al, 1976). However, there are also reports that there is no evidence of follicle growth in prepubertal ovaries (von Stieve, 1949;van Wagenen and Simpson, 1973).…”

Influence of irradiation and chemotherapy on the ovaries of children with abdominal tumours

“…4). Three to 500o of a normal small follicle population remained in these cases (Table, (Block, 1952;Valdes-Dapena, 1967;Lintern-Moore et al, 1974;Himelstein-Braw et al, 1976;Peters et al, 1976). However, certain diseases seem to interfere with the normal development (Peters et al, 1975).…”

Thoughts on puberty. The gonads

“…Antral follicles are present on woman's ovary at birth (Peters et al, 1976), and in young humans gonadotropin secretion is high for several months after birth before damping during infancy ( fig. 1) (Grumbach et al, 1974 ;Conte et al, 1975).…”