cyst the size of a small orange
13 Replies
kim - July 15

about 2 minutes ago i just found out i have a csyt the size of a small orange on one of my ovaries. since i don't see my dr until monday i was just wondering if someone could help me understand what's going on. is this considered PCOS , will i have to go for surgery? i'm kind of freaking out here. thanks for any input!

 

merlee - July 15

Hi. A couple of months ago, I was told that I had 3 cysts and was given BC for 1 mo to see if they would go away on their own. They did, but no one told me I had PCOS. I am still confused

 

Drew - July 15

"Poly" (as in polycystic ovarian syndrome) means many cysts. I would ask my doctor if there are more than one, and see if he will test for insulin resistance. As for what they will do for it, it varies between doctors. Some don't want to surgically remove them because of the risk of scarring your ovaries. Others may want to remove it, or use medication. It all depends on the doctor. I know this will be hard to do but try to relax a little over the weekend. :)

 

Lena - July 16

You get ovarian cysts every month. The follicle you produce is actually a cyst. In your particular case the cyst never released an ovum but continued to grow instead. Usually they regress on their own, but if they don't then your doctor may want to give you an injection (such as hCG) which will cause the cyst to regress. The impact on your cycle and repro would most likely be minimal, say a month or two. In the extreme event that surgery is needed, often they can remove the cyst without damaging the ovary. Last year I removed a 26 lb cyst from a mare. She became pregnant 6 weeks later and delivered a nice, healthy filly earlier this year.

 

kim - July 16

thanks merlee, drew, and lena! i've had a few hours at work to destress about this so now i feel a lot better! lena- when i read the part about the 26lb cyst i almost died (but then i finished reading!!) i learn something everytime i come on this site- i had no idea that our follicles were cysts. so if it doesn't go away on it's own, and say i never went for the u/s what would happen to the cyst? would it keep growing? oh, and if it's just on one of my ovaries, does this mean that every other month i have a chance of conceiving? thanks again drew and lena, merlee i wish i could help you out more but i'm still confused as well!! kim.

 

Lena - July 16

Kim, if you never went to the doctor for an ultrasound then the cyst could do several things (1) Regress - we get nonovulatory cysts all the time that we aren't aware of, (2) burst, (3) eventually grow large enough that it was visually noticeable or caused enough pain for you to seek medical attention. Also keep in mind that if its a progesterone-bearing cysts, you wouldn't get AF. If you are regular, I'm sure the sudden ceastion of AF would make you visit the doctor. Human follicles grow..what, 2 mm per day? (Sorry I specialize in horses so I don't always have human numbers) At that growth rate it wouldn't take long to get a cyst your size. As I mentioned earlier, we get ovarian cysts all the time and never, ever know about them. Keep in mind a cyst isn't a tumor. Cysts are fluid filled, whereas a tumor is vascularized tissue, which makes them much easier to treat.

 

kim - July 16

lena, you are so knowledgable!! are you a veterinarian or do you own horses? i would love to own horses! anyways thanks so much for all your help. this is the second time you've answered one of my questions (i think before it was about ovulation) and your answers are very informative. thank you so much lena, you've really put my mind at ease. kim.

 

kim - July 16

oh, lena, i have another question! if the cyst is just on one side, will i alternate ovulating every month- like o one month on the non-cyst side and then not o the next month b/c of the cyst? thanks again. k.

 

Lena - July 16

Kim, I'm not a vet but I have my masters in equine reproductive physiology and I manage one of the largest horse breeding farms in the United States. The vets in my area refer all of the repro cases to me so I see a lot. I delivered over 150 foals last year and inpregnated close to 200 mares. We use IUI, embryo transfer, IVF, & ICSI on the horses. Horse repro is similiar to human repro in many aspects so many procedures are refined in horses before being introduced to humans. I worked on the research team that "invented" ICSI in horses during the '80s and this was the model used for human ICSI. I never thought it was something that I would have to use.

 

Lena - July 16

Kim, if your ovary became damaged as a result of the cyst removal (or even if it had to be removed completely), then yes, the other ovary could produce follicles every other month that you could target for conception

 

kim - July 17

thanks lena! wow that's a huge responsibility and also a major accomplishment in life. speaking of horses, the arena that i work at just hosted the lipizzaner stallions (sp??) tonight- i couldn't get over how beautiful they were. they almost looked silver in some lights. makes me want to take riding lessons again! i have a dr's appointment on monday- i'll keep you posted! have a good rest of the weekend! k.

 

Lena - July 17

Did you get to see the performance? This is their first american performance since their barn fire nearly wiped out the entire herd so there has been a lot of anticipation about it.

 

kim - July 17

yes, i watched it. this is the 3rd time we've had them at our arena, but the first time i actually sat down and watched it. i just could not get over how shiney/slivery they were! i never knew that there was a barn fire, how terribly, terribly sad.

 

Lena - July 17

Yes, a horrible fire at their facility in Vienna. The entire barn collapsed and killed several people and hundreds of horses.

 

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