OVARIAN CYSTS

The ovaries are reproductive female glands . The functions of the ovaries are producing eggs (ova) and female hormones estrogen and progesterone. On the other side the function of the female hormones are development of female body characteristics (breasts, body hair, body shape), regulation of menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Ovarian cysts are closed sac-like structures that are filled with liquid or other content.

The reasons for ovarian cysts are various. So we have many types of ovarian cysts. The most common are follicular cysts, which are formed from a follicle. A follicle is a sac that contains an egg and is filled with fluid. During the menstrual cycle the follicle opens to realize the egg. When this is not happened the follicle grows larger than normal and follicle cyst is formed.

Luteum cysts are also frequent cysts . The corpus luteum  is a tissue in the ovary that is formed from the follicles, after releasing the egg. If the egg is not fertilized (pregnancy doesn’t occur), the corpus luteum disappears. But also may fill with fluid or blood and persist as a cyst on the ovary.

The bigger part from the ovarian cysts are asymptomatic (the women never realize that she has ovarian cyst). The most common symptom is abdominal or pelvic pain. This pain is caused from: torsion of the cyst (twisting of the cyst around its blood vessels), bleeding or rupture of the cyst.

The other symptoms are caused by pressing of the cyst to the saround tissue. These symptoms can include: urinary urgency, pain with sexual intercourse, feeling an urge to defecate, feeling full after eating only a small amount of food etc.

Most of the follicular or luteum cysts disappear without therapy in one to three months. The therapy is used only for compound cysts and the treatment depends from the woman’s age and the size of the cyst. This cyst are treated surgically.