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Shrinking ovaries

Question:

I had a partial hysterectomy 18 years ago (my ovaries were not removed). Lately I've been having pain and cramping, so recently had x-rays and an ultrasound. The doctor could not find my ovaries. Can ovaries just disappear on their own?

Answer:

If ovaries are not removed surgically, they are still present. After menopause, our ovaries do shrink. Pre-menopause ovaries are 3-4cm, but after menopause they can be 0.5cm-1.0cm. The older we get, the smaller they become but they never disappear.

Sometimes imaging with ultrasound, MRI or CT can have a hard time identifying ovaries for a multitude of reasons, with the most common being menopausal ovaries or lots of gas in the bowel, which can hide the ovaries.

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