Hypertrophy of the Corpus Luteum 



419 



even somewhat greater. When the corpus luteum contains 

 a blood clot, it always, so far as I have seen, ultimately un- 

 dergoes cystic degeneration, but the degeneration may be 

 very slow and the presence of the corpus luteum may inhibit 

 estrum month after month. 



Fig. 134 — Cystic Corpus Luteum. 



/, /, Pair of ovaries, the one on the left having a very large cystic corpus 



luteum, showing at the lower right periphery a remnant of 



lutein tissue, X; P, P, paired ovaries of pregnancy. 



The prognosis is good. As a general rule, once the en- 

 larged corpus luteum is dislodged, estrum returns within 

 three to five days and there is fair opportunity for concep- 

 tion. It appears that the long rest of the genital tract, 

 caused by the inhibition of estrum by the enlarged body, 

 tends to bring about a healthy condition of the genital sys- 

 tem, so that when the inhibiting body is dislodged the ova- 



