ovarian
Meaning of ovarian: The ovaries sit deep in the pelvis with no surface to feel, so ovarian problems tend to announce themselves indirectly.
Definition of ovarian
Ovarian is the adjective for anything belonging to the ovaries, the pair of small organs in the pelvis that store and release eggs and produce estrogen and progesterone. It attaches to structures, to processes and to disease alike: ovarian follicle, ovarian reserve, ovarian cyst, ovarian cancer. The word points to that specific organ rather than to the reproductive tract in general.
Where are the ovaries and what do they do?
Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond and sits on one side of the uterus, held in place by ligaments. It is not actually joined to the fallopian tube. The tube ends in a fringe of finger-like projections that sweep across the ovary surface and draw the released egg into the opening, so an egg briefly crosses open space. The ovary does two jobs at once: it houses the lifetime supply of eggs, releasing one at a time, and the follicle that released it becomes a temporary hormone-producing structure, secreting estrogen and progesterone in a pattern that drives the whole cycle.
What do the common ovarian phrases mean?
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ovarian follicle | The fluid-filled sac holding a developing egg |
| Ovarian reserve | An estimate of how many eggs remain |
| Ovarian cyst | A fluid-filled sac, most of them ordinary parts of a cycle that resolve on their own |
| Ovarian torsion | The ovary twisting on its supporting ligaments and cutting off its own blood supply |
| Ovarian suppression | Deliberately stopping ovarian hormone production with medication or surgery |
Why are ovarian problems often noticed late?
Position accounts for much of it. The ovaries lie deep in the pelvis where nothing can be felt from outside and where a growth has room to enlarge before it presses on anything. The symptoms that do appear, bloating, feeling full quickly, vague pelvic discomfort and needing to pass urine more often, overlap almost exactly with far more common digestive complaints. Pain from an ovary is also easily attributed to the appendix or the urinary tract, since all three sit close together. Research has also shifted the picture of where disease begins: much of what is classified as ovarian epithelial cancer is now thought to arise in the far end of the fallopian tube and involve the ovary secondarily.
Used in a sentence
The pelvic ultrasound was ordered to evaluate an ovarian cyst identified on physical examination.
Good to know
Ovarian pain is readily mistaken for appendicitis or a urinary problem, since the ovary lies close to several other pelvic structures capable of producing similar discomfort.
Word origin
Where “ovarian” comes from
Formed from Latin ovum, meaning egg, the root that also gives ovary and oocyte.