Understanding ovarian cysts: types, symptoms, and treatment

While most are small, harmless, and resolve on their own, some can cause significant pain, rupture, or twist, requiring emergency surgery. Cysts can occur at any age, including in newborn female babies, and in rare cases, can be cancerous or become cancerous over time. Symptoms, when present, can include changes in menstruation, lower abdominal pain that may extend to the thigh or back, vomiting, bloating, pain during defecation or intercourse, frequent urination, unexpected weight gain, or breast pain.

The pain is typically dull unless torsion occurs. There are two main categories: functional cysts, which are common and related to the menstrual cycle and usually not cancerous, and pathological cysts, which are not linked to the menstrual cycle and can be harmless or cancerous. Specific types include corpus luteum cysts, follicular cysts, dermoid cysts, cystadenomas, endometriomas, and those associated with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Ovarian cancer can also present as a cyst, though it is less common and typically occurs outside the reproductive years. Causes vary and include hormonal factors, ovulation-inducing medications, endometriosis, and infections. Diagnosis involves symptom history, blood tests, and imaging like ultrasound, CT, or MRI scans.

Treatment depends on the cyst's size, the woman's age, and whether there are concerning findings, potentially ranging from monitoring to surgery, chemotherapy, or radi