my doctor just told me that i have ovarian cysts on both of my ovaries. i just wanted to know if they cause infertility yes! they sure can. have em checked out..
What are ovarian cysts?
Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled, sac-like structures within an ovary. The term cyst refers to a fluid-filled structure. Therefore, all ovarian cysts contain at least some fluid.
What causes ovarian cysts?
Ovarian cysts form for numerous reasons. The most common type is a follicular cyst, which results from the growth of a follicle. A follicle is the normal fluid-filled sac that contains an egg. Follicular cysts form when the follicle grows larger than normal during the menstrual cycle and does not open to release the egg. Usually, follicular cysts resolve on their own over the course of days to months. Cysts can contain blood (hemorrhagic or endometrioid cysts) from injury or leakage of tiny blood vessels into the egg sac. Occasionally, the tissues of the ovary develop abnormally to form other body tissues such as hair or teeth. Cysts with these abnormal tissues are called dermoid cysts.
What symptoms are caused by ovarian cysts?
Most cysts are never noticed and resolve without women ever realizing that they are there. When a cyst causes symptoms, pain in the belly or pelvis is by far the most common one. The pain can be caused from rupture of the cyst, rapid growth and stretching, bleeding into the cyst, or twisting of the cyst around its blood supply.
How are ovarian cysts diagnosed?
Most cysts are diagnosed by ultrasound, which is the best imaging technique for detecting ovarian cysts. Ultrasound is an imaging method that uses sound waves to produce an image of structures within the body. Ultrasound imaging is painless and causes no harm.
Cysts can also be detected with other imaging methods, such as CAT scan or MRI scan (magnetic resonance imaging).
How can the physician decide if an ovarian cyst is dangerous?
If a woman is in her 40's, or younger, and has regular menstrual periods, most ovarian masses are "functioning ovarian cysts," which are not really abnormal. They are related to the process of ovulation that happens with the menstrual cycle. They usually disappear on their own during a future menstrual cycle. Therefore, especially in women in their 20's and 30's, these cysts are watched for a few menstrual cycles to verify that they disappear. Because oral contraceptives work in part by preventing ovulation, physicians will not really expect women who are taking oral contraceptives to have common "functioning ovarian cysts." Thus, women who develop ovarian cysts while taking oral contraceptives may be advised against simple observation; rather, they may receive closer monitoring with pelvic ultrasound or, less commonly, surgical exploration of the ovary.
Other factors are helpful in evaluating ovarian cysts (besides the woman's age, or whether she is taking oral contraceptives). A cyst that looks like it's just one simple sac of fluid on the ultrasound is more likely to be benign, than a cyst with solid tissue in it. So the ultrasound appearance also plays a role in determining the level of suspicion regarding a serious ovarian growth.
Ovarian cancer is rare in women younger than age 40. After age 40, an ovarian cyst has a higher chance of being cancerous than before age 40, although most ovarian cysts are benign even after age 40. CA-125 blood testing can be used as a marker of ovarian cancer, but it does not always represent cancer when it is abnormal. , First, many benign conditions in women of childbearing age can cause the CA-125 level to be elevated, so CA-125 is not a specific test, especially in younger women. Pelvic infections, uterine fibroids, pregnancy, benign (hemorrhagic) ovarian cysts, and liver disease are all conditions that may elevate CA-125 in the absence of ovarian cancer. Second, even if the woman has an ovarian cancer, not all ovarian cancers will cause the CA-125 level to be elevated. Furthermore, CA-125 levels can be abnormally high in women with breast, lung, and pancreatic cancer.
How are ovarian cysts treated?
Most ovarian cysts in women of childbearing age are follicular cysts (functional cysts) that disappear naturally in 1-3 months. Although they can rupture (usually without ill effects), they rarely cause symptoms. They are benign and have no real medical consequence. They may be diagnosed coincidentally during a pelvic examination in women who do not have any related symptoms. All women have follicular cysts at some point that generally go unnoticed.
A follicular cyst in a woman of childbearing age is usually observed for a few menstrual cycles because the cysts are common, and ovarian cancer is rare in this age group. Sometimes ovarian cysts in menstruating women contain some blood, called hemorrhagic cysts, which frequently resolve quickly.
Ultrasound is used to determine the treatment strategy for ovarian cysts because if can help to determine if the cyst is a simple cyst (just fluid with no solid tissue, seen in benign conditions) or compound cyst (with some solid tissue that requires closer monitoring and possibly surgical resection).
How are ovarian cysts treated? continued...
In summary, the ideal treatment of ovarian cysts depends on the woman's age, the size (and change of size) of the cyst, and the cyst's appearance on ultrasound.
Treatment can consist of simple observation, or it can involve evaluating blood tests such as a CA-125 to help determine the potential for cancer (keeping in mind the many limitations of CA-125 testing described above).
The tumor can be removed either with laparoscopy, or if needed, an open laparotomy (using and incision at the bikini line) if it is causing severe pain, not resolving, or if it is suspicious in any way. Once the cyst is removed, the growth is sent to a pathologist who examines the tissue under a microscope to make the final diagnosis as to the type of cyst present.
Ovarian Cysts At A Glance
Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled, sac-like structures.
Ovarian cysts form for numerous reasons.
When a cyst causes symptoms, pain in the belly or pelvis is by far the most common one.
Most cysts are diagnosed by ultrasound.
The treatment of ovarian cysts varies from observation and monitoring to surgical procedures.
hope that this info helps. Not always. Your doctor should say. I think they have to be pretty bad cysts that would damage both ovaries irreparably (or necessitate their removal) and that doesn't always happen. Then again PCOS is linked to infertility too. Ovarian cysts are usually a common and harmless swelling of one or both ovaries. These cysts most often occur in women who are between puberty and menopause, when the ovaries are in high gear propelling out mature eggs. The term functional means the cyst is not caused by any underlying disease or disorder, and that it will possibly resolve (shrink and disappear) on its own in a few weeks.
Some functional ovarian cysts have no symptoms and are discovered, if at all, during routine pelvic exams. Others can cause symptoms, including changes in the menstrual cycle, including shorter or longer periods, skipped periods, and/or spotting between periods, pelvic pain or ache, especially during sexual intercourse or at the start or finish of menstruation, feelings of nausea or queasiness or breast tenderness.
Because these symptoms can also be the sign of a more serious health problem, any changes in menstruation or prolonged abdominal pain need to be checked by your doctor or gyneacologist to rule out conditions that require treatment or further evaluation.
A functional ovarian cyst (or two) probably will not give you problems conceiving, however, if it is recommended that you need surgery to remove a cyst, you can talk about your pregnancy plans with your surgeon, who can help you understand exactly what is to be done, and what the impact might be. A woman can be fertile with only one ovary, or with even one part of an ovary. Referral to a fertility specialist may be in order depending on your own unique situation.
Good luck. I hope this helped answer your question :) Get them checked out just to be safe. and have follow-up examinations because some cyst increase in size and can twist causing you major problems...
I had ovarian cyst in my right ovary just 2 months ago, the pain was so severe that i had to go to the emergency ward.
They examined me and found that I had a huge ovarian cyst in my right ovary, they discharged me because some cyst shrink or go away without any medical treatment and so they thought my cyst might shrink in size. So they discharged me home and they wanted to see me three weeks later.
Just one week after they discharged me I was rushed back to the emergency again, because the pain was getting worse day after day, they examined me again and found that my cyst had increased in size and had twisted around my ovary four times cutting the blood supply to my ovary causing it to die and not function, so they had to undertake immediate surgery to remove the cyst, but unfortunately they also removed my right ovary and fallopian tube. And now my chances of falling pregnant are as half as a woman with 2 ovaries.
So I鈥檓 telling you to get them checked out because you never know, they may increase in size and cause you the same problem my cyst caused me. Melinda said that "now my chances of falling pregnant are as half as a woman with 2 ovaries."
This is incorrect. According to my gynecologist, if you have one ovary, your other will take over and generally you will ovulate every month and have the same chances of conceiving as any other woman with two ovaries will have. Its possible, but not common. I had very bad ovarian cysts and had no trouble conceiving either of my children. |
