Ovarian cyst - Symptoms, Causes, Images, and Treatment Options

Diseases

Highlights & Basics

Key Highlights

An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac in the ovarian tissue. The cyst may be unilocular or multilocular. The causes may be physiologic, infectious, benign neoplastic, malignant neoplastic, or metastatic.
The most important step in management is assessing the risk of malignancy.
Oral contraceptives do not hasten or influence regression of benign ovarian cysts.
Asymptomatic postmenopausal women with simple unilocular ovarian cysts <10 cm in diameter and cancer antigen (CA)-125 <35 U/mL can be managed conservatively with serial ultrasonography.
Ultrasonography can provide a morphology index score that is useful in determining likelihood of malignancy.

Laparoscopic view of ovarian cyst in vivo

From the collection of Professor Michael Hopkins

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History & Exam
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Definition

Epidemiology

Etiology

Pathophysiology

Images

Laparoscopic view of ovarian cyst in vivo

Citations

Key Articles

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Committee on Practice Bulletins--Gynecology. Practice bulletin no. 174: evaluation and management of adnexal masses. Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Nov;128(5):e210-6.[Abstract]
DePriest PD, Shenson D, Fried A, et al. A morphology index based on sonographic findings in ovarian cancer. Gynecol Oncol. 1993 Oct;51(1):7-11.[Abstract]
Committee on Gynecologic Practice, Society of Gynecologic Oncology. Committee opinion no. 716: the role of the obstetrician-gynecologist in the early detection of epithelial ovarian cancer in women at average risk. Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Sep;130(3):e146-9.[Abstract]
US Preventive Services Task Force; Grossman DC, Curry SJ, Owens DK, et al. Screening for ovarian cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2018 Feb 13;319(6):588-94.[Abstract]
Levine D, Patel MD, Suh-Burgmann EJ, et al. Simple adnexal cysts: SRU consensus conference update on follow-up and reporting. Radiology. 2019 Nov;293(2):359-71.[Abstract][Full Text]
Grimes DA, Jones LB, Lopez LM, et al. Oral contraceptives for functional ovarian cysts. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Apr 29;(4):CD006134.[Abstract][Full Text]

Other Online Resources

Early Detection Research Network, National Cancer Institute: OVA1

Referenced Articles

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