Effect of ovarian wedge resection for the Stein-Leventhal syndrome on plasma FSH, LH, oestradiol and testosterone levels and on the responses of the pituitary to intravenous LHRH.

We studied basal plasma FSH, LH, testosterone and oestradiol levels and post-OHRH plasma FSH and LH levels in ten patients both before and after a wedge resection of the ovaries for Stein-Leventhal syndrone. We compared the results with those obtained in 15 healthy patients between the third and seventh day of a normal menstrual cycle. Before operation, patients with the Stein-Leventhal syndrome had raised basal and post-LHRH LH levels and raised plasma testosterone levels. All these abnormalities disappeared after wedge resection of the ovaries. Both before and after operation patients with the Stein-Leventhal syndrome had low plasma oestradiol levels. These results are used to formulate a hypothesis about the aetiology of the Stein-Leventhal syndrome.