[Cryopreservation of the ovary and ovarian tissue]

Cryopreservation followed by grafting of ovarian tissue should enable prevention of the irrevocable loss of ovarian function sometimes associated with radio and/or chemotherapy in young women with malignant neoplasms. Cryopreservation of the oocyte should improve the general results of medically assisted procreation by enabling the creation of an oocyte bank. Three research areas have been developed in terms of preservation of the ovary or of the ovarian tissue by refrigeration. Freezing of the whole organ, or of fragments, was the first technique to be studied and did not lead to any practical applications. Freezing of the oocyte is being widely studied at present. Despite some successes, it is still far from possible to create an oocyte bank. Freezing of primary follicles is the latest ovarian cryopreservation technique described. Preliminary results are interesting and this method may offer the solution to the total restoration of ovarian function.