Germ cells and ova in dysgenetic gonads of a 46-XY female dizygotic twin.
The frequency of germ cell neoplasms in girls with 46-XY gonadal dysgenesis suggests that germ cells may persist in the dysgenetic gonads for many years. A phenotypic female infant with a karyotype of 46-XY in blood, skin, and gonads had a few ova in primordial follicles and numerous germ cells in her dysgenetic gonads at the age of 3 months. At 3 years and 10 months of age her gonads contained no primordial follicle and the only remaining germ cells were in a gonadoblastoma. We propose that germ cells are lost from dysgenetic gonads much more rapidly than from normal gonads, but that the rate of loss in patients with a karyotype of 46-XY may be less than the rate of loss in patients with a karyotype of 45-XO.
D002675:Child, Preschool; D004200:Diseases in Twins; D004407:Dysgerminoma / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007621:Karyotyping; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010053:Ovary / Q000473:pathology; D010063:Ovum / Q000473:pathology; D014424:Turner Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology