ABSTRACT
PIP: The present study was carried out to assess the ovarian structure in cases of primary infertility (PI), and secondary infertility (SI). 40 patients were selected from the infertility clinic of Al Azhar University hospital from those suspected to have ovarian abnormalities with history of amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea or those having enlarged ovaries on pelvic examination. Their ages ranged from 17 to 40 years; their husbands were generally in good health and fertile. 28 were suffering from PI and 12 from SI. Ovarian biopsy was taken in 20 patients by laparoscopic technique and 20 patients by wedge resection. At the same time endometrial biopsy was taken with a specimen of cervical mucus and vaginal cells to detect the presence or absence of ovulation. Evidence of recent ovulation was present in 57.1% of the cases of PI and 50% of the cases of SI. However, the ovarian structure was abnormal in 92.9% of the cases of PI and 83.3% of the cases of SI. Polycystic ovary was present in 71.4% of PI cases and in 58.3% of SI cases and was considered the most common ovarian abnormality in both groups, followed by sclerotic ovary, which was detected in 14.3% of PI cases and no SI cases. Other findings in both groups included tubo-ovarian abscess, ovarian fibroma and a serous cystadenoma.^ieng
