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Ovarian cysts 101
Just remember that all of you are different and will be listening to different doctors and recovering patients, this research is a broad look at cysts and one size does not fir all.
Ovarian cysts are sacs filled with fluid or a semisolid material that develop on or within the ovary.
The most common type of ovarian cyst is called a functional cyst, which often forms during the normal menstrual cycle. Each month, a woman's ovaries grow tiny cysts that hold the eggs. When an egg is mature, the sac breaks open to release the egg, so it can travel through the fallopian tube for fertilization. Then the sac dissolves.
In one type of functional cyst, called a follicular cyst, the sac does not break open to release the egg and may continue to grow. This type of cyst usually disappears within 1 to 3 months.
A corpus luteum cyst, another type of functional cyst, forms if the sac does not dissolve. Instead, the sac seals off after the egg is released. Fluid then builds up inside of it. This type of cyst usually goes away on its own after a few weeks. However, it can grow to almost 4 inches and may bleed or twist the ovary and cause pain. Clomid or Serophene, which are drugs used to induce ovulation, can raise the risk of developing this type of cyst. These cysts are almost never associated with cancer.
Other types of ovarian cysts include the following:
Endometriomas: These cysts develop in women who have endometriosis, when tissue from the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. The tissue may attach to the ovary and form a growth. These cysts can be painful during sexual intercourse and during menstruation.
Cystadenomas: These cysts develop from cells on the outer surface of the ovary. They are often filled with a watery fluid or thick, sticky gel. They can become large and cause pain.
Dermoid cysts: The cells in the ovary are able to make hair, teeth, and other growing tissues that become part of a forming ovarian cyst. These cysts can become large and cause pain.
Polycystic ovaries: This condition occurs when the eggs mature within the follicles, or sacs, but the sac does not break open to release the egg. The cycle repeats, follicles continue to grow inside the ovary, and cysts form.
Incidence
Functional ovarian cysts usually occur during the childbearing years. Most often, cysts in women of this age group are not cancerous. Women who are postmenopausal and develop ovarian cysts have a higher risk of ovarian cancer.
Symptoms
Many women with ovarian cysts do not display any symptoms. However, a cyst will sometimes cause the following:
pressure, fullness, or pain in the abdomen;
dull ache in the lower back and thighs;
problems passing urine completely;
pain during sexual intercourse;
weight gain;
painful menstrual periods and abnormal bleeding;
nausea or vomiting; and
breast tenderness.
Diagnosis
Because ovarian cysts may not cause symptoms, they are usually found during a routine pelvic examination. During this examination, a physician may be able to feel the swelling of the cyst on an ovary.
Once a cyst is found, ultrasonography is indicated to visualize the shape of the cyst, its size and location, and whether it is fluid-filled, solid, or mixed. A pregnancy test is also indicated. Hormone levels (such as luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, and testosterone) may also be assessed.
To determine whether a cyst might be cancerous, CA-125 levels should be measured. The amount of this protein is higher if a woman has ovarian cancer. However, some ovarian cancers do not produce enough CA-125 to be detected by the test. In addition, other noncancerous diseases such as uterine fibroids and endometriosis can increase the levels of CA-125.
These noncancerous causes of increased CA-125 are more common in women younger than 35 years of age, whereas ovarian cancer is very uncommon in this age group. For this reason, the CA-125 test is recommended mostly for women over the age of 35 years, who are at high risk for the disease and have a cyst that is partially solid.
Ovarian cysts are sacs filled with fluid or a semisolid material that develop on or within the ovary.
The most common type of ovarian cyst is called a functional cyst, which often forms during the normal menstrual cycle. Each month, a woman's ovaries grow tiny cysts that hold the eggs. When an egg is mature, the sac breaks open to release the egg, so it can travel through the fallopian tube for fertilization. Then the sac dissolves.
In one type of functional cyst, called a follicular cyst, the sac does not break open to release the egg and may continue to grow. This type of cyst usually disappears within 1 to 3 months.
A corpus luteum cyst, another type of functional cyst, forms if the sac does not dissolve. Instead, the sac seals off after the egg is released. Fluid then builds up inside of it. This type of cyst usually goes away on its own after a few weeks. However, it can grow to almost 4 inches and may bleed or twist the ovary and cause pain. Clomid or Serophene, which are drugs used to induce ovulation, can raise the risk of developing this type of cyst. These cysts are almost never associated with cancer.
Other types of ovarian cysts include the following:
Endometriomas: These cysts develop in women who have endometriosis, when tissue from the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. The tissue may attach to the ovary and form a growth. These cysts can be painful during sexual intercourse and during menstruation.
Cystadenomas: These cysts develop from cells on the outer surface of the ovary. They are often filled with a watery fluid or thick, sticky gel. They can become large and cause pain.
Dermoid cysts: The cells in the ovary are able to make hair, teeth, and other growing tissues that become part of a forming ovarian cyst. These cysts can become large and cause pain.
Polycystic ovaries: This condition occurs when the eggs mature within the follicles, or sacs, but the sac does not break open to release the egg. The cycle repeats, follicles continue to grow inside the ovary, and cysts form.
Incidence
Functional ovarian cysts usually occur during the childbearing years. Most often, cysts in women of this age group are not cancerous. Women who are postmenopausal and develop ovarian cysts have a higher risk of ovarian cancer.
Symptoms
Many women with ovarian cysts do not display any symptoms. However, a cyst will sometimes cause the following:
pressure, fullness, or pain in the abdomen;
dull ache in the lower back and thighs;
problems passing urine completely;
pain during sexual intercourse;
weight gain;
painful menstrual periods and abnormal bleeding;
nausea or vomiting; and
breast tenderness.
Diagnosis
Because ovarian cysts may not cause symptoms, they are usually found during a routine pelvic examination. During this examination, a physician may be able to feel the swelling of the cyst on an ovary.
Once a cyst is found, ultrasonography is indicated to visualize the shape of the cyst, its size and location, and whether it is fluid-filled, solid, or mixed. A pregnancy test is also indicated. Hormone levels (such as luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, and testosterone) may also be assessed.
To determine whether a cyst might be cancerous, CA-125 levels should be measured. The amount of this protein is higher if a woman has ovarian cancer. However, some ovarian cancers do not produce enough CA-125 to be detected by the test. In addition, other noncancerous diseases such as uterine fibroids and endometriosis can increase the levels of CA-125.
These noncancerous causes of increased CA-125 are more common in women younger than 35 years of age, whereas ovarian cancer is very uncommon in this age group. For this reason, the CA-125 test is recommended mostly for women over the age of 35 years, who are at high risk for the disease and have a cyst that is partially solid.
If I have a 3.2 cm cyst on my ovary n multi amounts of fibroids would I need surgery right away. If I had my tubes tied 17years ago can my tubes come untied n I can come out pregnant right away n don't even know it? I'm 44 years old. I didn't have a period fr almost 4-5months. Then I had a period for 2weeks then it stop.
Yes, Marty's information is now on the health pages and there have been a few new HealthPages added as well. There are new ones with links to other helpful sites for Cancer & Cysts. I hope you all will check them out and add to them. It looks like quite a few have been added to the Cancer one and I started a Cyst one. The more info we can go out there and gather and bring back the better this forum will be.
Jan
Jan
Oh, I forgot the HealthPages for the Ovarian Cancer forum and the Ovarian cyst forum are one and the same. I have written a suggestion to medhelp to separate them and I hope they do. All I did was copy and paste it into the page. Like I said I must have the lucky laptop, because so many people have had problems.
I must have the lucky laptop!!! I got it on there. I added some tags which I don't normally do but I thought it would help people searching if they could find this list pretty fast. Would you look at it and see what other tags can be used. I am in a lot of pain tonight and I am having trouble thinking. Thanks
Please do, be my guest, like I say I never used a PC until I was 70 thanks Jan, Marty
Marty, would you like me to give it a shot. I have had pretty good luck with the jinxed healthpages. Marie and Donna have had a hard time so I think it is just jinxed.
Maybe the content is just to large for it to go in the health pages at one time?
I wonder if you tried just putting in parts at a time
Make it put some in it then save then go back and edit and so on till its all there???
maybe try that and see you can only try.
Mid
I tried to get it on the health pages but it just came up here again I am NO PC genius thats for sure. Marty
Did they just put this post up again? I'm not sure why there aren't 152 messages on it, but I'm certainly grateful it's here, Marty.
Thanks again!
Donna
Thanks again!
Donna
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