Symptoms, Causes, and the Diagnosis of the Ovarian Cyst
Author: Groshan Fabiola

Usually, most of the cysts don't show any symptoms, they are small and benign. Problems can appear if you have larger cysts. Your periods may change, becoming irregular, lighter or heavier than usually, you may feel discomfort low down in your abdomen, or even pain. Sometimes, this pain becomes stronger after you have sex.
The cyst may put pressure on the bladder or bowels, determining you to go to the toilet more often, or sometimes it can cause the production of abnormal quantities of hormones to start. Of course, other symptoms can appear too, especially if you have polycystic ovarian syndrome or endometriosis.

Cysts can cause other problems too. A cyst may burst, having as a result the apparition of a great pain in the lower abdomen. The intensity of the pain depends on a few factors like whether the cyst is infected, or whether there is any bleeding, and it also depends on what the cyst contained. If this problem occurs, you will have to go immediately to the hospital for treatment. Another problem that may appear is when the cyst is growing on a stem from an ovary. In that case, the stem can become twisted, and that will cause a deep pain in the lower abdomen, because the blood supply to the cyst will be stopped.

A functional ovarian cyst appears more often. The follicular cyst appears when, after releasing the egg, the follicle doesn't shed its fluid, or, if the follicle does not release an egg. Continuing to fill with fluid, the follicle becomes a cyst. This is the most common cyst, it can reach five or six centimeters wide, and usually it disappears in a few weeks without any treatment.

Another type, that is not as common as the follicular cyst is the corpus luteum cyst. It appears when the corpus luteum fills with blood or fluid. This kind of cysts can grow up to six centimeters wide and usually disappear in a few months. Although, the cyst can split, and that will cause pain and internal bleeding.

Another type that can appear is the dermoid cyst. It develops from cells that produce eggs in the ovaries, and can contain tissues like skin, hair or teeth. This cyst usually appears in younger woman, and it might be necessary its surgical removal.

Cystadenomas are cysts that also need to be removed, although they are not usually cancerous. They can grow very large, and are often attached to an ovary. Some of them are filled with a mucous substance, and others with a watery liquid.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is provoking the apparition of small benign cysts, which will develop if the hormones produced by the ovaries are not proper balanced. Endometriosis can also determine the apparition of ovarian cysts.

Usually, an ovary cyst is found by chance, during a medical examination. That happens because a lot of ovarian cysts show no symptoms. If the doctor suspects that you have an ovarian cyst, he will send you to the gynaecologist. The gynaecologist will perform a vaginal examination, to see if there is any swelling, and usually you will have an ultrasound scan too. Another method the doctor might follow is to put a small rounded tube in your vagina, to scan the ovaries. After having the ultrasound scan, the doctor will know whether the cyst is functional or not, will have information about how dense it is, but it is possible that you will need to have additional CT or MRI scans also. A blood test is another method to see if there is a tumour. The doctor is looking after the CA-125 protein's level, because a high level can be the sign of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cysts are very common, and it rarely means they will turn into ovarian cancer. About 95% of the ovarian cysts are non cancerous.

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