Obliterating Ovarian Cysts

You have been feeling a dull ache in the lower abdomen for weeks now. You feel bloated at times. You also have a full feeling in your stomach. You could have an ovarian cyst.

Ovarian cysts are common and usually harmless. Every egg in the ovary sits inside its own capsule that looks like a nest with a dome. That is the follicle. During the menstrual cycle, one follicle ripens and breaks apart, releasing an egg. In some instances, the follicle ripens but does not burst. It fills with fluid, becoming a follicular cyst. In time, the body absorbs the fluid and the cyst shrinks.

Another common, harmless cyst is the corpus luteum cyst. A corpus luteum is what is left of a follicle after the egg departs. It can fill with fluid and become a cyst. Like follicular cysts, the corpus luteum eventually diminishes in size.

Other benign cysts may be filled with hair or skin tissue (dermoid cyst) or may develop from cells on the surface of your ovary (cystadenoma). An endometrial cyst (endometrioma) may develop in women with endometriosis.

Benign cysts aren’t life-threatening and they generally do not spread. They do need to observed by a gynecologist and possibly treated, however, because they may continue to grow and cause problems down the line. Larger cysts run the risk of becoming twisted at the stem, which cuts off its blood supply and causes pain.

Small cysts on the ovaries may be linked to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). These cysts interfere with the production of certain hormones, which can lead to irregular periods, difficulty getting pregnant, unwanted hair on the face and body, and acne problems.

The ovaries produce a small amount of male sex hormones called androgens. However, in PCOS, the ovaries produce higher levels of androgen. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown, but it may be influenced by heredity.

Fortunately, if you have been diagnosed with a functional cyst, your doctor may prescribe birth control pills for one to three months. This will help quiet down any ovarian activity and prevent further cysts.

There are other types of cysts that are much less common. They can form from cells that produce eggs or from ovarian tissue. These types of cysts, as well as that form after menopause are more of a concern because they may be cancerous.

Other symptoms to be watchful for are:

·       Intense abdominal pain (this is a sign that you need prompt medical attention)

·       Menstrual changes (late periods, bleeding between periods or irregular periods)

·       Heavy menstrual flow

·       Infertility

·       Severe menstrual cramps

·       Pain during sexual intercourse

·       Pain during bowel movement

·       Weight gain

Sudden or sharp pain may mean a cyst has ruptured. The twisting or rupture of a cyst may increase the likelihood of an infection. If a woman experiences abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, and symptoms of shock (cold, clammy skin and rapid breathing) she should get help immediately.

Cysts are found during your routine pelvic exam. Your doctor will recommend that you come back in a few weeks to see whether the cyst has shrunk. It is important to remember cysts generally disappear on their own.

Some other tests your doctor might recommend are a pregnancy test (a positive result may indicate a corpus luteum cyst), a pelvic ultrasound (where you use a wandlike device, transducer, to send and receive high frequency sound waves to transmit images of your uterus and ovaries), a laparoscopy (uses a slim lighted instrument inserted into your abdomen from a small incision that allows your doctor to see your ovaries), CA 125 blood test (measures blood levels of a protein cancer antigen 125).

Treatment of ovarian cysts is based on its size and appearance, along with your age, state of health and childbearing plans. First, the physician must assess the likelihood that the cyst is benign and is not going to cause an immediate problem. If you have a small cyst that is not causing any symptoms, your gynecologist to observe it for two or three menstrual cycles.

When symptoms such as severe pain or bleeding are present, or a malignancy is suspected, the cyst will usually have to be surgically removed. Depending on its size and whether the cyst is benign or malignant, it may be possible to leave the ovary intact; however, sometimes one or both ovaries have to be removed.

If you have had ovarian cysts in the past, you are susceptible to a recurrence. For problem cysts, treatment is most successful when it is begun at an early stage. All women should have regular pelvic exams as recommended by their doctor.

Please call your doctor if you suspect you may have ovarian cysts. Don’t wait until the last minute.