what is a ovarian cyst?

Answer 1

It's a giant pain in the neck. So to speak.

All kidding aside, an ovarian cyst is a growth caused by an improper release (or lack thereof) of the egg from the follicle.

Normally, one or more of the follicles attached to the ovary holds onto the egg while gradually accumulating fluid throughout the month. Then, at ovulation, the follicle bursts open and releases the egg to travel through the fallopian tube on its way to either be fertilized or eventually discharged in menses.

Sometimes though, this process doesn't work properly and the follicle holds onto the egg. The follicle accumulates more and more fluid and becomes an ovarian cyst in the sense we normally think of. Sometimes the cyst bursts later on after it's bigger than it should be, and this can be very painful for the woman. Sometimes the cyst stays at a small size and just sits there for a long time without ever getting much bigger - a lot of women have this type without ever even knowing it. And sometimes, as in my case, they just keep growing and growing and never burst, and eventually have to be surgically removed. That's not too common, however.

Since this is posted in the cancer forum, I should mention that these types of cysts are almost always non-cancerous. If you have problems with them though, your doctor may decide to run a CA-125 to check for cancer markers. Never hurts just to be safe.

Answer 2

Ovarian cyst is a kind of proliferative or degenerative disorder of ovaries . Regarding to the patient's age , cyst size, patient's symptoms , paraclinical and radiological data , we could predict it's entity and manner . It's usually a benign disorder but it must be follow up carefully with an Ob/Gyn specialist . If there is any uncertainty about it's neoplastic branch (benign vs. malignant) it must undergo with biopsy .

Answer 3

It is a cyst attached to an ovary. Could be infected pus-filled globular thing. Can cause pain.