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Ovarian cysts - Symptom

Alternative Names

Physiologic ovarian cysts; Functional ovarian cysts; Corpus luteum cysts; Follicular cysts

Symptoms:

Ovarian cysts often cause no symptoms. When symptoms occur, they are typically pain or a late period.

An ovarian cyst is more likely to cause pain if it:

  • Becomes large
  • Bleeds
  • Breaks open
  • Is bumped during sexual intercourse
  • Is twisted or causes twisting (torsion) of the Fallopian tube

Symptoms of ovarian cysts can include:

  • Bloating or swelling in the abdomen
  • Pain during bowel movements
  • Pain in the pelvis shortly before or after beginning a menstrual period
  • Pain with intercourse or pelvic pain during movement
  • Pelvic pain -- constant, dull aching
  • Sudden and severe pelvic pain, often with nausea and vomiting, may be a sign of torsion or twisting of the ovary on its blood supply, or rupture of a cyst with internal bleeding

Changes in menstrual periods are not common with follicular cysts, and are more common with corpus luteum cysts. Spotting or bleeding may occur with some cysts.

Signs and tests:

Your health care provider may discover a cyst during a physical exam, or when you have an ultrasound test for another reason.

Ultrasound is done on many patients to diagnose a cyst. Your doctor may want to check you again in 4 - 6 weeks to make sure it is gone.

Other imaging tests that may be done when needed include:

Your health care provider may be able to feel the ovarian cyst during a pelvic exam.

The doctor may order the following blood tests:

  • Reviewed last on: 3/30/2010
  • Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Katz VL. Benign gynecologic lesions: Vulva, vagina, cervix, uterus, oviduct, ovary. In: Katz VL, Lentz GM, Lobo RA, Gershenson DM, eds. Comprehensive Gynecology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 18.

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