Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that develop in or on your ovaries. They’re quite common and you can get them at any age.
Most ovarian cysts don’t cause any symptoms and they’re usually benign (non-cancerous). Many will go away without treatment. But sometimes an ovarian cyst needs to be removed in a surgical procedure. This may be because the cyst is large, is causing symptoms or there’s a risk it might be cancerous.
There are lots of different types of ovarian cyst. These can be split into two groups: functional cysts and pathological cysts.
Most ovarian cysts are functional cysts. This means that they develop as part of your usual menstrual cycle. They don’t happen after the menopause.
Each month, your ovary produces several follicles (tiny fluid-filled sacs). One of these will mature and release an egg. After releasing the egg, the follicle normally changes into something called the corpus luteum. This releases hormones that help the lining of your uterus (womb) prepare for pregnancy. If the egg isn’t fertilised, the corpus luteum begins to break down.
The two main types of functional cyst form at different stages in this cycle.
These may happen because of an overgrowth of cells. You may hear these types of ovarian cyst referred to as tumours. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re cancerous. Most aren’t. To find out more about ovarian cysts and cancer, see our FAQ: Does having an ovarian cyst mean I have cancer?
You can also get cysts on your ovaries if you have endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Most ovarian cysts don’t cause any symptoms, so you may not realise you have one. But, depending on the type you have, ovarian cyst symptoms may include:
These can be symptoms of other problems as well as ovarian cysts. If you have any of these symptoms or are worried, contact your GP for advice. For information about symptoms that need urgent medical help, see our section on complications.
Most cysts on your ovaries don't cause any symptoms. You may only find out you’ve got one if you’re having tests such as an ultrasound scan.
If you see your Doctor because you’ve got symptoms of an ovarian cyst, they’ll ask you about these. They’ll then examine your abdomen (tummy). Your Doctor may also examine you internally with a vaginal examination.
Your Doctor may recommend the following tests.
Depending on the results, your Doctor may refer you to a gynaecologist. This is a doctor who specialises in women’s reproductive health.
If you have an ovarian cyst, you may not need any treatment. Whether or not you need treatment will depend on:
Your personal preferences will also be considered.
If your ovarian cyst is small and isn’t causing any problems, your doctor may suggest keeping a close eye on it for a while with ultrasound scans. This is called ‘watchful waiting’. Most small cysts on your ovaries disappear on their own and don't cause any problems. So, this approach helps you avoid having treatment you don’t need.
Your doctor will discuss with you when you should have a repeat ultrasound scan. This may be:
You may also be asked to have another blood test for CA-125. If your ovarian cyst doesn’t go away, your gynaecologist may then recommend surgery to remove it.
Ovarian cysts during pregnancy nearly always go away without treatment. Your doctor will usually only recommend surgery if the cyst is causing symptoms or is very large.
If your cyst is large, causing symptoms or doesn’t go away, your doctor will probably suggest you have surgery to remove it. They‘ll also recommend surgery if there’s a risk your cyst may be ovarian cancer.
There are two ways of carrying out surgery for an ovarian cyst :
You’re most likely to be offered keyhole surgery, which is usually done as a day-case procedure.
Most ovarian cysts form in response to hormonal changes in your body. So, things that affect your hormone levels can sometimes lead to cysts forming. These include:
You can also get ovarian cysts if you have endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Having an ovarian cyst doesn’t usually cause any serious problems. The two main complications of ovarian cysts are described here.
If you have been diagnosed with an ovarian cyst and get sudden, severe lower tummy pain, go to your nearest A&E department straightaway. You may need to have surgery.
An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops in or on your ovary. They may occur naturally as part of your menstrual cycle or because of an overgrowth of cells. Most ovarian cysts don’t cause any symptoms and go away on their own without treatment. But sometimes, they may cause symptoms or need to be removed.
Most ovarian cysts develop naturally as part of your menstrual cycle. Others may develop because of an overgrowth of cells. They usually form because of hormonal changes in your body.
Ovarian cysts can also be caused if you have another health condition such as endometriosis or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). For more information, see our sections on types and causes of ovarian cysts.
Most ovarian cysts don’t cause any symptoms and go away on their own without treatment. But sometimes, ovarian cysts may cause symptoms including pain in your lower tummy, bloating and painful periods. For more information on this, see our section on symptoms of ovarian cysts. Occasionally, an ovarian cyst can rupture or twist, causing severe pain in your tummy. If this happens, go to A&E immediately.
Probably not – most ovarian cysts are benign, which means they aren’t cancerous.
· About one in 1,000 ovarian cysts are found to be cancerous in women who have not yet gone through the menopause.
· About three in 1,000 ovarian cysts turn out to be cancerous in women over the age of 50.
You’ll have a number of tests to check whether your ovarian cyst is benign or cancerous. For more information, see our section on diagnosis.
Small ovarian cysts don't usually affect your fertility. Most ovarian cysts are small and go away without treatment. In some cases, ovarian cysts need to be removed by surgery. If at all possible, only the cyst will be removed and your ovary won’t be. If you do have to have an ovary removed, you can still get pregnant if your remaining ovary is working normally.
However, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are conditions that can cause ovarian cysts and can also cause problems with fertility.
Doctors used to prescribe the combined oral contraceptive pill for ovarian cysts, hoping this would make the cysts shrink. But we now know that this doesn’t work. However, if you keep having complications from an ovarian cyst, your doctor may offer you oral contraceptives to prevent ovulation. This may help reduce your risk of complications in future.
Many women have one or more cysts on their ovaries at some point in their lives. These often cause no symptoms and go away without treatment. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the name given to a collection of symptoms caused by abnormalities in the way your body produces and manages sex hormones. Having many small cysts on your ovaries can be just one aspect of this syndrome.
Not usually. The most common type of ovarian cyst is relatively small and is unlikely to affect your weight. But feeling bloated can be a symptom of having an ovarian cyst. This might make you feel as though you’ve put on weight.
If you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), you may put on weight as part of that condition.
www.rcog.org.uk
The information and/or article is solely the contribution of Bupa, (hereinafter referred to as “Bupa UK”) a United Kingdom (UK) based healthcare services expert and is based on their experiences and medical practices prevalent in UK. All the efforts to ensure accuracy and relevance of the content is undertaken by Bupa UK. The content of the article should not be construed as a statement of law or used for any legal purpsoe or otherwise. Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited (formerly known as Max Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited) (hereinafter referred to as “the Company”) hereby expressly disown and repudiated any claims (including but not limited to any third party claims or liability, of any nature, whatsoever) in relation to the accuracy, completeness, usefulness and real-time of any information and contents available in this article, and against any intended purposes (of any kind whatsoever) by use thereof, by the user/s (whether used by user/s directly or indirectly). Users are advised to obtain appropriate professional advice and/or medical opinion, before acting on the information provided, from time to time, in the article(s).
Please click on Agree button to be Redirected to BANCA Site.
Else click on close icon.