ovarian cysts

[Catarina1]

Hi:

I am a 46-year-old woman. I recently had a transvaginal ultrasound performed for no specific reason; my gyn is just very cautious and prescribes them routinely on a yearly basis for me. I just saw him today and got the results. They read as follows:

The uterus is retroverted measuring approximately 8.2 x 6.0 x 4.8 cm. The myometrium is mildly heterogeneous. There appears to be a small 1.5-cm posterior fundal fibroid. The endometrial stripe has an unremarkable appearance measuring 8 mm in thickness. No free fluid is seen in the cul-de-sac.

The right ovary measures 2.3 x 2.4 x 1.0 cm and has several subcentimeter follicles. The left ovary measures 2.3 x 2.1 x 1.8 cm and also has several subcentimeter follicles. In addition, there is a 1.3-cm hypoechoic cyst in the left ovary.

The report suggested follow-up evaluation after 2-3 menstrual cycles. My doctor didn't seem concerned at all and even seemed annoyed that I was asking him questions. I guess from his point of view, I was overreacting. He said I could wait a couple of cycles as the report recommended. My questions are: do you think it's safe to wait this long if this is a complex cyst? I've read that some complex cysts can be cancerous. Should I seek a second opinion or do you think it's safe to wait? Also, what does hypoechoic mean? Thanks for you help.

[Catarina1]

Thanks for your responses, ladies. I've calmed down a bit since I got the initial report back. Being that my dr. is so cautious, I figure that if there was any reason for concern, he wouldn't make me wait. Also, shazzybow, what you said makes sense. I got a copy of the report so I could see what it said, and there is no mention of suspected malignancy. All it said was that it suggested follow up in 2-3 menstrual cycles.


I made an appointment for my follow up ultrasound in a few weeks. I'm not going to seek a second opinion right now, since I'll be going for the follow up relatively soon. If that still shows abnormalities, then I'll see what I should do. Thanks again to all of you for your support, it's wonderful to have a forum like this to share with other women!

[Gatsby]

I agree, you should get a 2nd opinion from a gyn/onc.  They are specialists in womens gyn issues and have seen everything.  Although 99% of ovarian cysts are benign, you are wise to  seek medical attention.  Kudos to your dr. for making sure you get the trans vag us on a yearly basis!  You are in my thoughts and prayers.  Godspeed
~Tascha

[sdp4314]

I would seek a second opinion with a onc/gyn as they specialize in this area and are more familiar with complex cysts.  We know that 99% of cysts are benign, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.  Have you ever had cysts before?  I am 41 and never had any until recently.  It was complex and with my history/symtpoms and age my gyn/onc and regular gyn opted to remove both ovaries as well. I was lucky and in the 99% club with a benign mass.  

I know you will be hearing from the real experts around here soon.  They speak from experience and make a great sounding board.

Best of luck to you,
Shawn

[shazzybow]

A hypoechoic cyst is a descriptive term, meaning that it gives off fewer echos on ultrasound than the surrounding tissue.

A followup ultrasound is a reasonable course of action - if there was concern about ovarian cancer, then it would have been suspected in the radiologist's impression.