Diminished ovarian reserve， which refers to decrease in the quality and quantity of follicles in the ovary， is a common disease in women， mainly manifesting as endocrine disorders and decreased fertility. If not treated in time， it will gradually progress to premature ovarian failure. In order to reduce the burden of disease and improve the quality of life for patients， it is helpful to understand the etiology of diminished ovarian reserve in traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Since ancient times， many ancient books have extremely insightful views on this disease. This article reviews the understanding of this disease in traditional Chinese medicine based on four classic monographs in obstetrics and gynecology， Fu Qingzhu’s Obstetrics and Gynecology， A Complete Collection of Effective Prescriptions for Women， Outline for Women’s Diseases， and Profound Scholarship in Gynecology， and reviews the etiology of the disease based on the latest high-quality literature in Western medicine， so as to provide a reference for peers.