The human antral follicle : Functional correlates of growth and atresia

This communication reviews the current information on the developmental relationships between the various tissues of the growing human antral follicle. It also examines the various interrelationships between the hormone levels in antral fluid, the populations of granulosa cells, the steroidogenic capacities of thecal tissue and granulosa cells, and the status of the oocyte in antral follicles at different stages of growth or degeneration. Healthy antral follicles are considered to be those containing an oocyte which appears healthy at the level of the dissecting microscope and more than 50 p. 100 of its full complement of granulosa cells at each follicle diameter. In follicles with more than 75 p. 100 of their full complement of granulosa cells,’at a given follicle diameter, the endocrine microenvironment is one that is enriched with FSH and cestradiol. Follicles with between 51 and 75 p. 100 of their full complement of granulosa cells at a given follicle diameter are inva-