title: Morphometric study of the human neonatal ovary.
abstract: A morphometric analysis, based on mathematical evaluations and stereological methods, has been used to study five left neonatal ovaries, removed from full-term neonates with a 46,XX karyotype free from malformations of the genital apparatus. Each ovary was completely cut obtaining serial sections and one 1-micron-thick section every 1,000 microns was examined. Ovarian length ranged from 9 to 17 mm (mean 13 mm), width from 3.5 to 7 mm (mean 5.7 mm), thickness from 2.5 to 5 mm (mean 4 mm), and volume from 82.23 to 198.3 mm3 (mean 125.88 mm3). In the ovarian cortex, primitive cortical tissue accounted for 10-20% of the total volume, follicles for 10-25% and interstitium for 35-45%; 10-30% of the organ consisted of inner medulla. The total follicle number ranged from 130,000 to 385,000 per ovary, with an average of 266,000 with 95% being represented by primordial follicles. In all ovaries examined follicular growth was still in process, with follicles at different stages of development.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Istologia ed Embriologia, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forabosco
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sforza
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Pol
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vizzotto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marzona
authors.forename: V F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Ferrario
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008433:Mathematics; D009024:Morphogenesis; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010053:Ovary / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development