OVARY

OVARY ANATOMY

ovaries

external features
- young girls
  - before onset of ovulation
    - ovaries have smooth surface
    - they are greyish pink in colour
- after puberty girls
  - surface becomes uneven and is greyish in colour
- two poles
  - upper or tubal pole
  - lower or uterine pole
- two borders
  - anterior or mesoovarian border
  - posterior or free border
- 2 surfaces
  - lateral
  - medial
situation
- lies in the ovarian fossa on lateral pelvic wall
  - bounded anteriorly by
    - obliterated umbilical artery
  - bounded posteriorly by
    - ureter and internal iliac artery
- position
  - it varies with individual
- nulliparous women long axis
  - is nearly vertical
- multiparous women
  - long axis is horizontal
    - upper pole points laterally
    - lower pole points medially
relations
- peritoneal relations
  - almost covered by peritoneum except along mesoovarian or anterior border
  - mesoovarium
    - ovary is connected to posterior layer of braod ligament
    - sq. epithelium is continuous with cubical epithelium of ovary
    - transmits vessels to and from ovary
- suspensory ligament of ovary or infundibulopelvic ligament
  - lateral part of braod ligament
visceral relations
- upper pole or tubal pole
  - related to uterine tube and external iliac vein
  - right ovary may be related to appendix
  - ovarian fimbria and suspensory ligament are attached to this pole
- lower or uterine pole
  - related to pelvic floor
  - connected by the ligament of ovary
  - to the lateral angle of uterus
  - posteroinferior to the attachment of uterine tube
- anterior or mesoovarian border
  - straight and is related
    - to uterine tube
    - obliterated umbilical artery
  - attached to the back of broad ligament of uterus
- posterior or free border
  - related to uterine tube and ureter
- lateral surface
  - related to ovarian fossa
    - lined by parietal peritoneum
  - peritoneum separates ovary from obturator vessels and nerve
- medial surface
  - largely covered by uterine tube
  - peritoneal recess b/w this surface and mesosalpinx is
    - ovarian bursa
venous drainage
- veins emerge at the hilus and form a pampiniform plexus around artery
- plexus condenses in to a single ovarian vein at pelvic inlet
nerve supply
- sympathetic nerves T10 - T11
- ovarian plexus
histology
- outer surface
  - germinal epithelium
- cortex
  - ovarian follicles
    - various stages
    - each follicle
      - one oocyte
    - after liberation of oocyte
      - grafian follicle becomes
        
        corpus luteum
        
        produces progesterone
    - follicular cells
      - secrete
        
        oestrogen
arterial supply
- ovarian artery
  - arises from abd aorta just below renal artery
  - descends over posterior abd wall
    - enters suspensory ligament
  - sends branches to ovary through mesoovarium
    - then anastomose with uterine artery
- uterine artery
lymphatic drainage
functions
- production of oocytes
- production of hormones
- oestrogen
- progesterone
clinical anatomy
- prolapse of ovary
- ovarian cyst
- carcinoma of ovary