Premature ovarian failure.

PRIMARY ovarian failure results from disappearance of follicles from the ovary. The diagnosis can be established by demonstrating elevated gonadotropin levels. Among patients who undergo ovarian biopsy, about 50% have no follicles. In the other 50%, follicles are identified, but they are usually arrested before the antral phase of follicle development and resist gonadotropin stimulation. In a few patients, normal functional follicles are present in the ovaries despite the finding of elevated gonadotropin levels. We shall review the etiology of primary ovarian failure in the context of ex-perience with 89 cases.