Ovarian cysts

A cyst on the ovary (ovarian cyst) is a mostly harmless change that can develop in the ovary itself (ovaries) or on the ovary itself. The shape, size and consistency of the cyst can vary greatly. Some cysts on the ovary are only a few millimetres in size and usually do not cause the patient any problems at all.

Other patients, on the other hand, complain of cysts several centimeters in size, which can lead to sometimes severe pain, especially in the abdomen. In general, most cysts, no matter how large or small, are harmless and therefore the cyst on the ovary is not dangerous. However, there are also changes in the area of the ovary, which can indicate a malignant change.

Causes

There are several reasons why a cyst can develop in the ovary. A common cause of cyst formation in the ovary is a hormonal change. In sexually mature patients, hormonal changes occur repeatedly during the monthly cycle.

These hormonal changes can cause a cyst to grow on the ovary. More often, however, a hormonal disorder is the cause of a cyst on the ovary. This cyst is called a functional cyst because it is caused by hormonal imbalances.

A patient may also develop an ovarian cyst as a result of hormone therapy, such as taking the contraceptive pill. However, it is also possible that the cause of the ovarian cyst is hormonal changes during puberty or menopause. Since there are strong hormonal fluctuations in which the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone are imbalanced, this imbalance can be seen as the cause of the development of a cyst on the ovary.

In addition to a hormonal imbalance or a hormonal shift, there are also other causes that can promote the development of a cyst in the ovary. On the one hand, it is possible that the woman’s cracked egg cell remains in the ovary. This then leads to a so-called follicular cyst, which itself sometimes releases female sex hormones such as estrogens or progesterone.

Hormone treatment (usually with the pill) can lead to so-called lutein cysts. These are cysts that usually occur in both ovaries and are almost always harmless. If a patient stops taking this hormone treatment, the cysts will also regress.

Only rarely is it a so-called polycystic ovarian syndrome, which can sometimes lead to infertility in the patient. Also rare are so-called endometrial cysts. These are cysts which are filled with blood and originate in the uterus.

However, they only develop if the patient has so-called endometriosis, i.e. a scattering of tissue from the uterus into the ovaries. An extremely rare cause of the development of a cyst on the ovary is an increased secretion from the glands located on the ovary. This form is called a retention cyst.

Another rare form is the so-called dermoid cyst. This is a cyst on the ovary, which occurs frequently, especially in young patients and is usually benign. It is possible, however, that the cyst becomes malignant if it goes unnoticed for a long time. In this case, the cyst on the ovary can be dangerous for the patient because a tumor can develop here. Nevertheless, only about 1.5% of all patients with a dermoid cyst develop a malignant cyst and develop into a cancer.