Ovarian Cyst

An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops on a woman's ovary. They're very common and don't usually cause any symptoms.

Most ovarian cysts occur naturally and disappear in a few months without needing any treatment.

These pages cover:

Ovarian cyst

Symptoms

Types of ovarian cyst

Diagnosis

Treatment

Ovarian cysts and fertility

The ovaries

The ovaries are two small, bean-shaped organs that are part of the female reproductive system. A woman has two ovaries one each side of the womb (uterus).

The ovaries have two main functions:

• to release an egg approximately every 28 days as part of the menstrual cycle
• to release the female sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, which play an important role in female reproduction

Ovarian cysts may affect both ovaries at the same time, or they may only affect one.

Symptoms of an ovarian cyst

An ovarian cyst usually only causes symptoms if it splits (ruptures), is very large, or blocks the blood supply to the ovaries.

In these cases, you may have:

• pelvic pain this can range from a dull, heavy sensation to a sudden, severe and sharp pain
• pain during sex
• difficulty emptying your bowels
• a frequent need to urinate
• heavy periods , irregular periods or lighter periods than normal
• bloating and a swollen tummy
• feeling very full after only eating a little
• difficulty getting pregnant although fertility is unaffected in most women with ovarian cysts (see ovarian cysts and fertility )

Seeyour GP if you have persistent symptoms of an ovarian cyst.

If you have sudden, severe pelvic pain you should immediately contact either:

• your GP orlocal out-of-hours service
• NHS 111
• your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department

Types of ovarian cyst

The two main types of ovarian cyst are:

• functional ovarian cysts cysts that develop as part of the menstrual cycle and are usually harmless and short-lived; these are the most common type
• pathological ovarian cysts cysts that form as a result of abnormal cell growth; these are much less common

Ovarian cysts can sometimes also be caused by an underlying condition, such as endometriosis .

The vast majority of ovarian cysts are non-cancerous (benign), although a small number are cancerous (malignant). Cancerous cysts are more common in women who have been through the menopause.

A follow-up ultrasound scan may be used to confirm this.

Aspost-menopausal women have a slightly higher risk of ovarian cancer , regular ultrasound scans and blood tests are usually recommended over the course of a year to monitor the cyst.

Surgical treatment to remove the cysts may be needed if they're large, causing symptoms, or potentially cancerous.

This may mean removing just the cyst and leaving the ovaries intact, or only removing one ovary.

In some cases, surgery to remove both your ovaries may be necessary, in which case you'll no longer produce any eggs. Make sure you talk to your surgeon about the potential effects on your fertility before your operation.