Premature ovarian failure: morphological and ultrastructural aspects

The authors documented by means of light and transmission electron microscopy that the ovaries of women with premature ovarian failure (POF) displayed dense connective tissue and rare corpora albicantia. Eight of the ten studied cases did not present ovarian follicles; in two cases, it was verified the presence of ovarian follicles, atypical primordial follicles and in one case, a corpus luteum was identified (after stimulation with exogenous gonadotrophin). Regarding the ultrastructural analysis, it was noted that the fibroblasts were united one to each other by cellular prolongations that formed a woof, constituting a cellular syncicius.Os autores analisaram, através de microscopia de luz e de microscopia eletrônica de transmissão, os ovários de mulheres com insuficiência ovariana prematura. Observaram que são constituídos por tecido conjuntivo denso e raros corpos albicantes. Oito dos 10 casos não apresentavam folículos primordiais; em um caso verificou-se a presença de folículos ovarianos atípicos e, em outro, identificou-se corpo lúteo (após estimulação com gonadotrofina exógena). A ultra-estrutura, verificou-se que os fibroblastos achavam-se unidos uns aos outros através de prolongamentos celulares, formando um sincício celular.Escola Paulista de Medicina Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyEscola Paulista de Medicina Department of MorphologyUNIFESP, EPM, Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyEscola Paulista de Medicina Department of MorphologySciEL