Context: Several studies previously reported that the postmenopausal ovary produces androgens. However, these findings have recently been questioned in a group of women with adrenal insufficiency.

Objective: To utilize contemporary assay methodologies to investigate whether the postmenopausal ovary is hormonally active and contributes to the circulating pool of androgens.

Design/Patients: Serum was collected from the ovarian veins of 13 postmenopausal women undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy, with sufficient quantities obtained to allow for measurement of several hormones. Serum was also analyzed from peripheral blood collected preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively.

Setting: Los Angeles County Women's and Children's Hospital, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine

Main Outcome Measures: Testosterone (T), androstenedione (A), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), estrone (E₁), and estradiol (E₂) were measured by radioimmunoassay with preceding organic solvent extraction and Celite column chromatography.

Results: Statistically significant gradients were seen between the ovarian venous and peripheral samples for T, A, DHEA, E₁, and E₂. Postoperative levels of T and E₁, but not A, DHEA, or E₂, were statistically significantly lower than preoperative levels. A gradient for T between the ovarian venous and peripheral blood was present in 4 of 5 women who were menopausal for more than 10 years.

Conclusions: The postmenopausal ovary is hormonally active, contributing significantly to the circulating pool of T. Furthermore, this contribution appears to persist in women as long as 10 years beyond the menopause.