Could I have ovarian cysts?

Resolved question:

I have had pain near my hip bone on the left side for a while now and had severe pain at one point. My school nurse said it could be an ovarian cyst the way I described my pains. What kind of doctor would I go to for that?

Submitted: 4 Days
Category: Community

Expert:  Dr. John Monheit replied 4 Days.

Hello, Ovarian cyst is a fluid filled sac of tissue that develops inside an ovary. They are very common and do not usually cause any symptoms. However in certain individuals it may cause pelvic pain, urinary frequency, change in your periods, and difficulty in emptying bowels, indigestion and tiredness. There are 2 types o ovarian cysts such as;

a)Functional ovarian cyst- most common develops as a part of menstrual cycles, warm less and short lived.

b)Pathological ovarian cysts – occur as a result of abnormal cell growth and much less common.

Usually they are diagnosed by ultrasound scan, blood tests including protein level CA 125, which is usually elevated in various conditions such as cancer, endometriosis and tuberculosis. In most cases, they disappear on their own, but if they are symptomatic then it is treated by laparoscopy surgery for small cysts and laparotomy for cancerous cysts that is carried out under general anesthesia. Even if one ovary is removed, the other ovary will continue to function normally if you are pre menopausal. If both ovaries are removed then it will trigger an early menopause. I would suggest you to consult your obg-gyn doctor with the ultrasound scan report. Thank you.

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