Pain with ovarian cysts during pregnancy

Ovarian cysts in pregnancy are usually free of symptoms. They only cause pain in rare cases and if they grow strongly. Pressure on adjacent organs can cause abdominal pain.

Back pain is also possible. However, severe pain is rather unusual and usually points to other causes. Rarely, pedunculated cysts can rotate around their own axis.

This is called stem rotation. In this case suddenly strong colics occur. The rotation of the stalk must be treated surgically immediately.

Treatment of ovarian cysts in pregnancy

An ovarian cyst in pregnancy usually does not need treatment. Since it is a benign structure, there is no danger to the mother’s life, unlike an ovarian tumor. The frequent cysts of pregnancy, namely the corpus lutein cyst and the lutein cyst, regress by themselves and do not need special treatment.

Corpus luteum cysts are even necessary in the first three months of pregnancy to maintain the pregnancy, as they produce the important pregnancy-maintaining hormone progesterone. A corpus luteum cyst must therefore never be removed in early pregnancy. Lutein cysts also regress after birth and do not require any therapy.If functional cysts cause severe discomfort, they can also be surgically removed during pregnancy.

However, surgery is usually only performed after the first half of pregnancy. In early pregnancy, the risk of miscarriage due to the operation is too high. An operation should also be well-considered afterwards. Drug treatment of the cysts during pregnancy is not necessary.

How long do ovarian cysts occur during pregnancy?

There are different types of functional ovarian cysts that can occur during pregnancy. The most common cysts are corpus luteum cysts. These usually regress on their own after the first three months of pregnancy.

Rarely, however, they can persist for longer. Lutein cysts also recede, but only after the HCG supply has ended, i.e. after birth. Other ovarian cysts can also persist throughout the pregnancy and beyond. If the cysts then cause symptoms, surgical removal can be performed.