Background: The first attempts at ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTCP) were performed in the 1950s. Recent research efforts have demonstrated the possibility of obtaining pregnancy with this technique in three animal species and have shown good primordial human follicle survival up through the freezing process.
Potential indications: OTCP is a procedure designed to protect ovarian tissue from threats to its follicular reserves. The first threat is the time-related massive physiological destruction of the follicular reserve ending with menopause. OTCP would enable this wastage to be arrested, thereby prolonging ovarian cycling beyond limits. Conditions producing premature menopause, when known in advance, may also potentially benefit from OTCP. The iatrogenic destruction of the follicular reserve by radiation therapy or alkylating agents is another situation where OTCP would enable the patient's fertility to be preserved. Among these clinical settings, iatrogenic destruction of follicular stocks appears to us, with the current state of research, to be an acceptable indication for OTCP.