[Oocytes from polycystic human ovaries (author's transl)]

Little is known whether oocytes of polycystic ovaries, espacially those of the Stein-Leventhal-syndrome, are able to perform complete maturation. Therefore the maturation capacity of ova derived from biopsies of two patients with polycystic ovaries was investigated using the culture technique with subsequent meiotic preparations. A remarkably high number of 42 and 54 oocytes have been found. The degeneration rates were 76.20% in the polycystic and 85.20% in the Stein-Leventhal-ovaries. The degenerative changes mainly appeared as shrinkage of the ooplasm and partial or total loss of corona cells. 14.28 and 7.40% resp. showed no or incomplete maturation, whether ova remained in dictyotene stage or were found arrested shortly after resuming meiosis. Four oocytes from each of the two patients underwent normal meiosis. A biovular follicle, observed in the Stein-Leventhal-ovary, is particularly mentioned. It may be concluded, that the majority of the oocytes of polycystic ovaries is degenerate, but there are a few ova able to mature in vitro.