From a gynaecologist's perspective, ovarian cysts in women are fluid-filled sacs that develop in one of the ovaries. There are many types of ovarian cysts and in most cases, the cysts are painless and cause no symptoms.
Most ovarian cysts are benign or functional and go away with time. However, some cysts do cause symptoms such as pain and bloating and may require treatment. An ultrasound scan of the ovaries can help determine the type, size and location of the ovarian cyst.
According to the International Ovarian Tumour Analysis (IOTA) group ultrasound rules for ovarian masses, if an ovarian cyst has at least one of these features and no benign features, the chance of malignancy is high:
- irregular solid tumour
- irregular multilocular-solid mass >10 cm in size
- ≥4 papillary structures
- presence of abdominal fluid (ascites)
- high Doppler signal (the cyst is highly vascular)
In this instance, further workup with advanced imaging and surgical removal would be advised. In some instances, a pre-operative biopsy of the ovarian cyst can be performed to establish the diagnosis.
A consult with a gynaecologist experienced with managing ovarian cancer is advised.
