1. How important are the follicular cysts?
The follicle contains the egg which is normally released from
this sac when it is mature enough. After the sac had ruptured and
set free the egg, it will normally disintegrate. But when this sac
does not rupture it will continue to grow and if it ends up
measuring more than 8 cm then surgery is necessary. In most of the
cases they do not get so large because they shrink after
ovulation. If the follicular cyst breaks then pelvic pain will be
felt by the women for at least 24 hours due to the bleeding which
irritates the abdominal cavity. If bleeding does not stop then he
surgeon must interfere and resolve this problem.
2. How are the follicular cysts diagnosed?
Diagnosing such cysts is made with an ultrasound tool. Also, a
pelvic exam is helpful in a lot of cases. Without any complication
the follicular cysts will disappear after 3 to 6 weeks. Sometimes
the ovarian cysts can be confused with ovarian cancer so more
tests must be done in order to be sure of the diagnose.
3. What is the corpus luteum cyst?
Generally after the egg is removed from the follicle and if the
woman is not pregnant the follicle has to transform into luteum(
also known as the yellow body), a smaller sac and then
disintegrate. If this small sac gets filled with liquid and
measures more than 3 cm it will form the corpus luteum cyst which
will remain inside the ovary. This cyst generally ruptures during
sexual intercourse and in the last days of the menstrual cycle.
In both follicular cysts and corpus luteum cysts cases, oral
contraceptive therapy seems to prevent them from forming.
4. What is the endometrial cyst?
The endometrial tissue is normally found in the uterus but
sometimes it can form in other places like outside the ovaries.
They are produced during the menstrual cycle by hormone simulation
and contain blackish blood which gives them the name of chocolate
cysts. Their rupture leads to pelvic pain as all the material they
contain gets in that area and creates adhesions between the local
structures.
5. Are there any symptoms for the ovarian cysts?
At the beginning while these cysts are still under 3 cm there
will be no symptoms. If they get to be larger than 10 cm or they
rupture than pain on both sides or only on one side of the abdomen
will occur. This pain differs in intensity during the menstruation
cycle for each type of ovarian cyst.
6. Is there a risk of infertility if I have ovarian cysts?
The endometrial cyst is the only one that can interfere with
the egg release and pickup. These cysts do not affect the quality
of the egg but they can affect the ovulation and the follicular
development.
7. What other ways are there of diagnosing an ovarian cyst
besides ultrasounds?
There can be performed blood tests along with MRI and CT
scanning in order to exclude the possibility of an ovarian cancer.
8. How exactly are these cysts treated?
Many gynecologists will recommend the patient an oophorectomy,
meaning that the ovary will need to be removed. Sometimes even the
hysterectomy will be considered as a measure of treatment. Some
surgeons try to remove the cysts safely without spilling any of
their contents into the abdomen and then try to reconstruct the
ovary.