[Tumours of the ovary in young women. The way they arise and the limits of conservative treatment (author's transl)]

Although tumours of the ovary are rare in woman under the age of 35 they are not exceptional and they form 15 p. 100 of the cases (17 patients) out of a series of 112 tumours of the ovary which were collected in 7 years. 11 of these patients had only one ovary affected and were able to be treated conservatively. In this way 5 of them were able to carry one or more pregnancies to term and another patient who was lost from observation for two years had to have a second operation to deal with a recurrence in the opposite ovary. Conservative treatment is only permissible if one is absolutely sure that the contro-lateral ovary is normal, and if there is the slightest doubt ovariotomy should be carried out to perform a biopsy. Furthermore the authors suggest that in view of the difficulties of strict supervision for a long term the opposite ovary and tube should be removed and hysterectomy carried out once the patient has had one or two children or when they have reached the age of 40.

[Turner's syndrome phenotype and spontaneous menstruation. Apropos of a case of 45 X syndrome]

The authors report a new case where a women of 28 years of age started periods spontaneously in spite of having the phenotype of Turner's syndrome and a 45 X karyotype in her lymphocytes and fibroblasts. When she had been stimulated with Clomiphene it was even possible to prove that she had ovulated and produced a functional corpus luteum. No Barr bodies were to be found in the cells from her ovaries and the karotype did not suggest a mosaic which would normally explain this sort of state. All the same, it is difficult to see how any part of the basic follicles can persist in cases of monosomy 45 X if there is no mosaicism.

[Pneumoperitoneum of genital origin. Apropos of a case at the beginning of pregnancy]

The authors studied the literature for similar findings in order to try to classify the different types of pneumoperitoneum when they had a case of pneumoperitoneum of genital origin. They then went on to study the mechanism by which these rare cases of genital pneumoperitoneum occurred: the insufflation or aspiration of air through the tubes, tubal antiperistalsis and uterine or vaginal perforations. From the clinical angle it is essential to eliminate pneumoperitoneum secondary to perforation of a hollow organ, and then to look for signs of peritonitis which only occur in genital pneumoperitoneum due to uterine perforation. The case usually cures spontaneously but recurrences are not uncommon. If there are no signs of peritonitis expectant treatment should usually be undertaken.