Cadaver study of the volume of the ovary in Bangladeshi women.

Abstract

Reproductive age, ovarian reserve and reproductive capability may be determined from the volume of the ovary. A cross-sectional, descriptive study was done in the Department of Anatomy, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, from January to December 2009, to see the variation in the volume of the ovary with age in Bangladeshi women. The study was performed on 140 post mortem human ovaries collected from 70 unclaimed female dead bodies which were in the morgue under examination in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka. The samples were divided into three age-groups including group A (10-13 years), group B (1445 years) & group C (46-52 years). Group A is pre-menarche group, group B represents reproductive age and group C is post menopausal group. The length, breadth and thickness of each ovary were measured by using a slide calipers. Then the volume of each ovary was determined by the product of its length, breadth and thickness multiplied by 0.524, according to the Prolate ellipsoid formula. The mean volume of the right ovary was found higher than that of the left one in all age groups (p < 0.001). The difference in mean volume of the ovary between group A & group B, group B & group C (p < 0.001) and group A & group C (p < 0.01) were also statistically significant. The volume of the ovary increases with age and then gradually starts to decrease from menopause.