OVARY (from Lat. orlon, egg; connected with Gk. 4i6v, oo-n, OChurch Slay. aye, gage, 011G. ei, Ger. Ei, AS. wg, Eng. egg). One of the pair of organs which in the female of any species produce the ova, or female reproductive bodies. They are analogous to the testes in the male. They may be described as two oval flattened bodies, an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half long,, three-quarters of an inch in width, and nearly half an inch thick, in the human subject, situated on either side of the uterus, to which they are connected by ligaments and by the Fallopian tubes. On making a section of an ovary, numerous vesicles are observed in its interior. These are the ovisacs of the future ova or germs, and are termed the Graafian vesicles. Before impregnation they vary in number from 10 to 20, and in size from that of a pin-head to that of a pea; but on microscopic examination great numbers of minute undeveloped vesicles are also found to be present. At each monthly period a ripe Graafian vesicle bursts and the ovum con tained in it makes its way by the ciliary motion of the epithelial lining of the tube along' the Fallopian tube to the uterus, where if not im pregnated it is disintegrated or passes off with the menstrual discharge.
Of the morbid conditions to which the ovary is liable by far the most important is the formation of tumors. These may be either solid tumors or cystic tumors. The cystic tumors, which consist of a sac containing a fluid or semi-fluid substance, are of much more frequent occurrence than the solid tumors. They are known as ovarian cysts.
Two principal varieties of cysts are usually en countered, the first of which is a small cyst which has its origin from degeneration of the Graafian follicle. It usually grows to the size of a fist and but rarely attains the size of a mall's head. The second variety is the large multilocular cyst made up of innumerable cysts of small size which as they grow partially fuse together and form the larger loculi or subdivisions which compose the fully developed tumor. This variety of cyst has its origin from abnormal growth and development of the glandular epithelium of the ovary. Be sides these two varieties of cysts a third variety of cyst, known as the dermoid cyst, also occurs not infrequently. It presents when opened a characteristic pulpy substance with which are mingled hair, nails, teeth, and pieces of cartilage, bone, etc.
Of the solid tumors of the ovary carcinomata and sarcomata are the most important.
The modern treatment of ovarian tumors is by ovariotomy, a surgical operation for removal of the tumors, as soon as their existence is recog nized. Tapping of ovarian cysts by puncture is now only occasionally employed, and then only as a palliative measure.