What is an ovarian cyst?

The BabyCenter India editorial team

Our panel of health writers.

A cyst is fluid-filled pocket (sac) that develops in one of your organs. An ovarian cyst is one such fluid-filled sac that grows in one of your ovaries. Your ovaries are the two bean-shaped organs that hold your eggs, before they reach the uterus.

Your ovaries are designed to release an egg every month. The way this happens is that a cyst filled with nourishing fluid forms around each egg as it develops. Every cycle, several egg-containing sacs (follicles) start to ripen. Each follicle is filled with fluid that nourishes the egg. The largest follicle bursts and releases the egg. This process is called ovulation and occurs every month in most menstruating women.

Sometimes an egg will start to develop, but the process will not be completed, in which case the cyst will remain in the ovary for a while and then gradually disappear. Hence, it is quite common to have ovarian cysts. Most of them are benign (harmless), and don't require treatment. However, they may need treatment if they are large, or are causing symptoms.

A normal cyst usually doesn't affect the ability to get pregnant. But, if the cyst is caused by endometriosis or a polycystic ovarian syndrome, it may cause some complications, making it harder to conceive.

A functional ovarian cyst found during pregnancy won't usually cause any problems for you or your baby. There are two common types of functional ovarian cysts, namely follicular cysts and luteal cysts.

Follicular cysts

These are the most common types of ovarian cysts. A follicular cyst develops in either of the following cases:
  • a follicle starts to develop, but the egg is not released
  • the follicle bursts and stays filled with fluid

These cysts are usually small, but may grow to bigger sizes of up to 5cm (2in) or 6cm (2.4in) across. They usually disappear on their own within a few months' time, without any need for special treatment.

Luteal cysts

After the follicle has burst to release the eggs, a shell (corpus luteum) remains. This shell may sometimes get filled with fluid or blood, creating a cyst. The luteal cyst can grow up to 6cm (2.4in) across. And they can take a few months to go away. Though they need not be treated, there is a possibility that they might burst. If they burst, it can be painful and cause bleeding in your stomach.

Symptoms of ovarian cysts

A cyst may remain and continue to grow for few weeks to a few months. Chances are that you may not even realise that you have an ovarian cyst. However, sometimes you may have the following symptoms:

Your routine ultrasound scan would have already shown if any cysts are present. But, if you have any of these symptoms, inform your doctor. She might recommend you to take extra scans just to keep track of the cyst during pregnancy.

Treatment of ovarian cysts

The treatment of an ovarian cyst completely depends on how malign or benign it is and where it develops.
  • Operation after 20 weeks. If your doctor finds that the cyst continues to grow, or if it is causing you a lot of pain, then she may advise an operation to remove it. However, any operation to remove the cyst will be done only after 20 weeks of pregnancy. A surgery to remove the cyst during early pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage.
  • Operation at any stage. Sometimes, a cyst may develop on a stem from an ovary, and get twisted (torsion). In this case, you may become very sick and your ovary could be damaged. If this happens, your doctor will have to remove it through a surgery, whichever stage of pregnancy you are in.

A keyhole surgery (laparoscopy) can be done to remove a cyst in early pregnancy. However, if the cyst is large or develops in late pregnancy, the operation will be done by making a cut in your tummy (laparotomy).


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