Ovum transport in women.

Abstract

The duration of ovum transport in normal fertile women was studied. Ova were recovered by either laparotomy or transcevical flushing of at various intervals after the detection of a preovulatory estrogen peak. All 28 patients ovulated within 40-63 hours after the estrogen peak. Between 40 and 97 hours after the estrogen peak 8 ova were recovered from the oviducts. 4 ova found in the distal middle quarter of the oviducts were recovered between 40-94 hours and 3 ova situated in the proximal middle quarter were obtained between 63-97 hours. 1 ovum was obtained at 48 hours though its location could not be identified. In those patients subject to uterine flushing 6 ova were obtained from 20 patients between 72 and 216 hours after the estrogen peak. In 9 flushings performed at 120 hours 2 ova were recovered and 4 ova were obtained from 8 flushing performed at 144 hours. No ova were found from flushings performed at shorter or longer intervals. The results suggest that the minimum time spent by ova in the human oviduct is between 2-3 days.