Ovarian cysts: Just how dangerous are they?
OVARIAN cysts are fluid-filled sacs within the surface of an ovary that are surrounded by cells.
While they are a common gynaecological problem, they cause concern for some women who fear ovarian cancer.
But Dr Sean Parkinson, obstetrician-gynaecologist at Liguanea Pro Medical and Thomas Medical Centre, told
All Woman that every woman at some point in her life will have cysts but may not present symptoms.
In the event the cysts leak some of the fluid or cause bloating, nausea or abdominal pain, then it becomes cause for concern.
“If it gets really big you may have symptoms of bloating, nausea or abdominal pain. The leak can also happen after sex. There is also something called a corpus luteum cyst that may rupture at the time of menstruation. After the egg is produced, it’s released. Corpus luteum is what is left back after release. What happens afterwards is determined by whether the egg gets fertilised by a sperm or not. If the egg isn’t fertilised by a sperm the corpus luteum will normally degenerate — break down — and disappear. If the egg gets fertilised it stays and helps to form the placenta. However, before it degenerates it may collect blood and fluid inside and form a cyst. That can get big and cause bloating, abdominal pain and ruptures or leak fluid.”
Dr Parkinson said while functional cysts mentioned above happen in every woman at some point, one other complication is that cysts can bleed and cause pain, making them haemorrhagic cysts.
He also added that depending on the complexity of the cyst, there can be ovarian torsion, which is when the ovary and Fallopian tube become twisted around its vascular pedicle causing acute abdominal pain.
“Picture a cyst as a mango on a tree and the blood flow is where the mango is attached (pedicle). When it twists the blood flow is compromised and if it is that way for too long it can lead to the death of the ovary,” Dr Parkinson pointed out.
He said both a leaking cyst and torsion can send a woman to the emergency room; however, he said the complication usually occurs in other cysts apart from the functional ones.
“Abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, back pain and pain radiating down the legs are common complications of other cysts that may develop, as well as leaking, bleeding inside and twisting or torsion,” he said.
Bleeding inside a cyst can cause a woman’s blood count to fall, leading to feelings of dizziness, and ruptures can occur both inside the cyst and in the abdomen.
Dr Parkinson said the worst case scenario is whether the cyst is cancerous or not.
“That’s what we’re always trying to predict. We usually classify them as simple and complex cysts based on ultrasound features of cysts. Simple means the cyst is unlikely to be cancerous, and complex means they are more likely to cause problems. Size is also a major concern. So through examination and imaging by means of an ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI depending on the case, we determine what type of cyst it is and how likely it is to be cancerous,” he said.
