Ovary

Function

Together the ovaries hold a woman's entire egg endowment: of the 1–2 million follicles present at birth, only about 400 will ovulate, one per cycle from menarche to menopause. The ovary cycles through follicular recruitment (FSH), ovulation at midcycle's LH surge, and the corpus luteum's progesterone interlude — a hormonal metronome that sets the pace of the whole reproductive tract.

The left ovary suspends from the pelvic wall by the suspensory ligament carrying its vessels, and to the uterus by the ovarian ligament; the fimbriae of its tube stand ready to sweep the released egg.

Blood supply

Ovarian artery straight from the aorta; ovarian vein to the left renal vein (the left's longer course predisposes to varicocele-equivalent congestion).

Nerve supply

T10–L1 sympathetic via the aortic plexus; parasympathetic vagal fibres reach it.

Clinical relevance

Ovarian cyst/torsion

Functional cysts wax and wane with cycles; sudden unilateral pain with vomiting means torsion — an emergency for the ovary.

Ovarian cancer

The whispering killer — bloating and early satiety dismissed until late; BRCA mutations mark the high-risk lineage.

PCOS

Polycystic ovarian syndrome's anovulation and androgen excess — the commonest endocrine disorder of young women.

Related conditions

• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Endometriosis
• Ovarian cancer
• Menopause symptoms