Ovarian Cysts Diagnosis

Although an ovarian cyst can sometime go away on its own, it is important to have it accurately diagnosed in order to distinguish it from other, more serious conditions like ovarian cancer and endometriosis.

To diagnose a cyst, your doctor will do a pelvic examination and send you for an ultrasound exam.

Pelvic Examination

To feel for masses or tenderness in your uterus or ovaries, your doctor will do a pelvic examination. The doctor will put one or two fingers inside your vagina and press on your abdomen with the other hand. In some cases, the doctor may also do a rectovaginal examination, where fingers are placed in both the rectum and the vagina to help identify lumps.

Your doctor will likely do these physical examinations in conjunction with vaginal cultures and a Pap smear to rule out infection and other causes of pelvic pain. Visit our Sexual Health Centre for more about these routine examinations.

Ultrasound

An ultrasound directs high frequency sound waves at the uterus. The 'echoes' produce an on-screen image. Thicker tissue appears lighter on the ultrasound screen. Because cysts are filled with fluid, it is usually easy for your doctor to distinguish a cyst from a solid tumour when viewing the ultrasound pictures.

Ultrasound technology has been used for over 35 years and studies show it is safe. It does NOT use radioactive material to produce an image.

There are two types of ultrasound often used to diagnose ovarian cysts:

1. A regular or trans-abdominal pelvic ultrasound uses a probe that is pressed on the outside of the abdomen to produce an image.
2. A trans-vaginal ultrasound uses a wand, which is inserted into the vagina to produce an image.

An ultrasound should not be painful, unless the cyst is already causing abdominal tenderness. Sometimes ultrasound pictures are clearer when the bladder is full, so you may be asked to drink water and wait to urinate until after the test is complete. This is often the most uncomfortable aspect of an ultrasound!