Ovarian Cyst – When Should You Get Alarmed?

An ovarian cyst is a formation, most often with the consistency of a semi-solid liquid, of benign nature, in the ovary. It can vary in size from a few millimeters to a few centimeters.

Risk Factors

Ovarian cysts have two main methods of formation: either directly from an ovarian follicle, in which case it will be called follicular cyst, or from a luteal body, also embedding in the formation process a fully or partially matured ovum.

Thus, if the process of maturation and detachment of an ovum from the follicle is interrupted, this will trigger the formation of a functional ovarian cyst.

The most common risk factor is the development of oophoritis. This condition is characterized by the infection or inflammation of the ovaries and / or fallopian tubes. This recurrent infection will usually intervene through pathogens.

The main cause is hormonal disorder. The whole process of training, maturation and detachment of the ovum is determined by the control of estrogen and progestin. If there is a hormonal disorder, these hormonal discharges will disrupt the process of maturation and separation of the ovum.

Symptoms

The first sign that women notice is the disorder of the menstrual cycle, sometimes accompanied by amenorrhea.

The menstrual cycle occurs either 20-24 days or 30-35 days, with a distorted cadence, but may even be missed for a few months.

If this disorder is unique, it may be overlooked, but if it is repeated, a gynecologist’s consultation is recommended. Also, sporadic bleeding may be observed, quantitatively reduced.

A second symptom that can be noticed is the presence of severe pain, which may occur outside of the menstrual cycle.

It occurs suddenly, it is acute and is defined by a low acute pain, a pelvic pain, which is often confused with the bladder region. In some cases, the pain is located in the flank of the affected ovary, with a higher frequency to the right, without knowing the exact cause; therefore, a differential diagnosis should be made.

A third symptom that can be noticed, especially if the first two were either not present or neglected, will be infertility. If a difficulty in getting pregnant is observed, one of the first examinations would be checking for an ovarian cyst.

Other Specific Symptoms:

  • Weight gain, especially caused by an increase in appetite, and by a modified metabolic rate;
  • Hirsutism
  • Pelvic pain when urinating

In the case of a broken ovary cyst, which is often a complication that should be treated as a medical emergency, the symptoms will be accompanied by abnormal bleeding, acute and severe pain in the pelvic area or flank and, in severe cases, headache, or even fainting.

Treatment

The treatment will vary according to the size of the cysts and their number. Hormonal therapy is often tried at the beginning, which may consist of birth control pills with hormonal load.

If cyst formation is caused by an endocrinological disease, such as hypothyroidism, in order to exclude a risk of reforming new cysts, it is necessary to treat the affected gland, not excluding hormonal treatment.

This therapy has the role of reducing cyst size, in order for it to be reabsorbed by the body. Surgery may also be necessary, which involves the removal of either the cyst or, if the patient wants to eliminate the risk of another cyst, a partial unilateral annexectomy.

The surgery is of short duration and includes a small incision just in the affected ovary area. Currently, it can also be performed by laparoscopic surgery, which will require making small incisions.

Recovery after such interventions is very fast and does not include complications. However, most treatments do not exclude the risk of developing new cysts in the future.




Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*