Ovary

ovary /ova·ry/ (o´vah-re) the female gonad: either of the paired female sexual glands in which oocytes are formed.ova´rian

Ovary. Inset shows the ovarian microstructure, with the stages of ovarian follicle development depicted counterclockwise from the top right, showing follicles progressively more mature: from primordial to primary, secondary, then tertiary, followed by ovulation, and finally corpora lutea from maturation to degeneration.

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polycystic ovaries  ovaries containing multiple small follicular cysts filled with yellow or bloodstained thin serous fluid, as in polycystic ovary syndrome.

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o·va·ry (v-r)

n.

One of the paired female reproductive organs that produce ova and certain sex hormones, including estrogen. Also called oophoron.

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o·vari·an (-vâr-n) adj.

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Ovary

One of the two almond-shaped glands in the female reproductive system responsible for producing eggs and the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Mentioned in: Dysmenorrhea, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Infertility, Infertility Drugs, Menopause, Oral Contraceptives, Ovarian Torsion, Turner Syndrome

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ovary

pl. ovaries; the female gonad; either of the sex glands in the female in which the ova are formed and from which the sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are released. Small, round bodies varying in size with the species and the stage of the estral cycle, they are located one each at the end of the ovarian (fallopian) tubes, in the ovarian bursa. In birds two ovaries are present but usually the right one remains small and nonfunctional.

Ovary of a sow with mature follicles. By permission from Sack W, Wensing CJG, Dyce KM, Textbook of Veterinary Anatomy, Saunders, 2002

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accessory ovary

very rare in domestic animals; usually located close to or attached to a normal ovary. See also supernumerary ovary (below).

cystic ovary

see cystic ovarian disease

supernumerary ovary

occurs widely situated from normal ovary, formed presumably from a separate anlage in contradistinction to an accessory ovary which results from a splitting of the embryonic gonad and is usually attached to the normal gonad.

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occult primary malignancy Occult cancer, unknown primary A malignancy of unknown 1º site or origin that is symptomless, which first manifests itself as metastases or secondary–paraneoplastic phenomena, and usually has a poor prognosis; OPMs are problematic as appropriate therapy requires that the primary malignancy be eradicated, and many remain obscure despite aggressive diagnostic work-up; certain malignancies metastasize to certain sites with greater than expected frequency; in OPMs affecting the brain, the primary arises in the lungs in up to 85% Treatment Up to 30% of Pts with metastases from an occult primary adenoCA may respond to chemotherapy–mitomycin C, adriamycin, vincristine; poor response is more common in ♂ and in Pts with liver and/or infradiaphragmatic metastases

Occult primary malignancies

Bone Breast, bronchus, prostate, thyroid, kidney

CNS Breast, bronchus, kidney, colon

Head & neck Oropharynx, nasopharynx–most are squamous cell carcinoma;  also adenocarcinoma, melanoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, oat cell, salivary  gland, thyroid carcinomas

Liver CA of stomach, colon, breast, pancreas, or bronchus

Lung Breast, colon, kidney, melanoma, sarcoma, stomach, testis, thyroid

Lymph nodes

• Cervix  Naso– and oropharynx, thyroid, larynx, lymphoma

• Supraclavicular  Bronchi, breast, stomach, esophagus, pancreas, colorectal,
lymphoma

• Axillary  Breast, melanoma, lymphoma

• Inguinal  Urogenital tract, anus, melanoma, lymphoma

Ovary Stomach, colon

Serosal surfaces Bronchi, breast, ovary, lymphoma

Skin Melanoma, breast, bronchus, stomach, kidney