Reduction of Blood Volume Following Bilateral Oophorectomy

Abstract

The present work was stimulated by the striking changes in blood volume found in patients with thrombo-angiitis obliterans by Silbert, Kornzweig and Friedlander. 1 The fact that this condition rarely occurs in women suggested that some physiological difference accounts for their immunity. It was natural to assume that the ovaries might be responsible for this difference. The occurrence of repeated attacks of superficial phlebitis in the lower extremities during the years following the removal of the ovaries has been observed by us and by others. Some alteration in the blood may play a role in producing this manifestation. Although several investigators have reported changes in the chemistry of the blood after bilateral oophorectomy, none have included a simultaneous study of the blood volume,^{2, 3}

The present report includes a presentation of data on blood volume, viscosity, cholesterol and fibrinogen in 25 patients who have had surgical removal of both ovaries and the uterus, and a miscellaneous group of 27 patients comprised as follows:

Natural menopause 9

Artificial menopause produced by radiotherapy 8

Recurrent amenorrhea 1

Single oophorectomy 2

Miscellaneous operative cases 6

Pre-operative case 1

Blood volumes on about 50 normal individuals gave an average figure of 80 to 85 cc. per kilo. The same results were obtained by other investigators.

The dye method of Lampe modified by Rosenthal was employed, as described by Silbert, Kornzweig and Friedlander. 1 The cholesterol determinations were made by the method of Bloor and the fibrinogen tests by the new Wu method. The Hess apparatus was used in estimating the viscosity.

The average blood volume in the bilateral oophorectomy cases shows a reduction of about 25% from the normal figure. This change becomes more striking after the first few months. Coincident with this there is an elevation in the cholesterol and fibrinogen content of the plasma, and an increase in the viscosity.