Ovarian Cysts: A Review

Cheryl Horlen, PharmD, BCPS

US Pharmacist. 2010;35(7):1-4.

Symptoms

Most ovarian cysts do not cause any noticeable symptoms and are found incidentally upon physical examination or ultrasound. Some women with functional ovarian cysts report a dull sensation or heaviness in the pelvis.^[6] Corpus luteum cysts are more likely than follicular cysts to cause pain, peritoneal irritation, and delayed menses.^[3] As an ovarian cyst enlarges, the patient may notice increased abdominal girth or pressure. Acute, severe lower-abdominal pain may indicate torsion or cyst rupture.

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Cite this: Ovarian Cysts: A Review - Medscape - Jul 20, 2010.

Table 1. Types of Common Benign Ovarian Cysts
Functional Ovarian Cysts
Follicular cyst	Common in reproductive-age women; forms when a follicle fails to rupture; often resolves spontaneously
Corpus luteum cyst	Common in reproductive-age women; forms when corpus luteum fails to regress; may produce progesterone; may be hemorrhagic
Ovarian Cystic Neoplasms
Epithelial cell tumors	Derived from mesothelial cells lining peritoneal cavity and ovary Examples: serous cystadenoma, mucinous cystadenoma, endometrioid tumor
Germ cell tumors	Derived from germ cells; may contain ectoderm, mesoderm, or endoderm Example: mature cystic teratoma (dermoid cyst)
Sex cord–stromal tumors	Derived from sex cords and stroma of developing gonad; often cause feminizing/virilizing effects, depending on type of cells present Examples: granulosa-theca cell tumor, Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor

Source: References 3, 4.

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Ovarian Cysts: A Review

Symptoms

Tables

References

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Authors and Disclosures

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