Ovarian Cysts

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Ovarian Cysts

As the ovaries are inside of the body, we don’t usually know about any Ovarian Cysts unless a woman has a scan. Most of the time, Ovarian Cysts are completely normal. The job of the ovaries are in fact to make cysts, so most scans will find cysts on ovaries.

Every month, the ovaries make about 20 cysts, and eventually one of them will be the biggest and then burst, causing an egg to be released while the other cysts disappear. So it is only at certain times of the menstrual cycles and in women who don’t have periods (such as young girls or postmenopausal women) do you not see cysts on the ovaries.

Physiological Cysts

This is the most common type of Ovarian Cysts, and the Scan report will usually say they are ‘simple’ in appearance, looking almost just like a ball of water within the ovary on scan. They can grow as big as 10cm in size but usually resolve after a few cycles.

If it is anything bigger than 4cm, your doctor may organise a repeat scan in a few months to check they have resolved. Simple cysts smaller than 4cm are not usually even worth mentioning by the Sonographer, but if they do, that is them being thorough and accurate rather than there being any particular worries.

Benign Cysts

Some cysts are commented by the sonographers as ‘Benign’. This is a term used to decribe cysts that are almost definitely non-cancerous. Some examples of Benign Cysts are Dermoid Cysts and Endometriotic Cysts. They will almost never become cancerous.

However, if they are bigger than a certain size, they can cause pain. So the GP will usually refer you to see a Gynaecologist to discuss the plan for this

Other Cysts

If a scan is worrying, there may be concern of a Borderline Cyst or a Malignant (Cancerous) Cyst. There has been a lot of research into the appearance of non-benign cysts so the people who do Ultrasound Scans are usually good at describing cysts in detail if they do not feel it is physiological or completely benign.

When there is doubt, the doctor will always refer you to see a gynaecologist urgently and do some blood tests. It is important to attend the appointment for these concerns as this is when you need to get an answer as quickly as you can.

Please be aware that each of these are a lengthy chapter in their own right so it is impossible to cover everything here. Every woman is unique and what is described here may not represent your individual case. It is important to see a doctor to discuss your individual case in addition to taking on the information from here.