Sir.—The advent of high-resolution sonography has resulted in the visualization of ovarian morphology previously available only to the pathologist. With this increased resolution, the problem of the significance of multiple ovarian "cysts" has arisen. Our experience with high-resolution computed sonography has alerted us to the danger of overdiagnosing polycystic ovary disease in children and young adults.
Patient Reports.—Ovaries of 15 girls from 3 to 18 years old were examined by ultrasound. In all patients, both ovaries were visualized. The patients were divided into three groups: Seven patients presented with a history of right lower quadrant pain, five with precocious puberty, and three with a clinical diagnosis of polycystic ovary disease (PCOD).
1. The control group consisted of seven patients who presented with lower abdominal pain that later proved to be nonovarian in origin. They ranged in age from 12 to 18 years. Ovarian size ranged from 2.3 to