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Anatomy and Histology of the Human Ovary

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Pathology of the Female Genital Tract

Abstract

The ovaries are two nodular bodies located one on either side of the uterus, attached to the broad ligament, and situated close to the lateral pelvic wall in a shallow depression called the ovarian fossa (Figure 19.1). The fossa is bounded by the external iliac vessels and the ureter. The anterior margin of the ovary is thin, straight, and attached to the posterior surface of the broad ligament by a fold of peritoneum referred to as the mesovarium. The posterior (free margin) is rounded, convex, and unattached. Besides the attachment to the broad ligament, the ovary is held in place by two ligaments, the uteroovarian ligament that is attached to the lateral angle of the uterus and a suspensory ligament that extends from the upper rounded pole of the ovary to the wall of the fallopian tube, immediately adjacent to the fimbriated end. The ovarian blood vessels are contained within the suspensory ligament.21 The utero-ovarian ligament contains some nonstriated muscle fibers.28 Asymmetry is common, the right ovary usually being larger than the left.

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Authors
  1. Ancel Blaustein M.D.
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA

    Ancel Blaustein (Clinical Professor of Pathology) (Clinical Professor of Pathology)

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Blaustein, A. (1977). Anatomy and Histology of the Human Ovary. In: Blaustein, A. (eds) Pathology of the Female Genital Tract. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6143-6_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6143-6_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-6145-0

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