Saturday, November 7, 2009

Ovarian Cyst And Pregnancy : The Facts

By Amanda Clark

An Ovarian Cyst and Pregnancy is not that strange of a combination. Ovarian cysts are a natural occurrence of the pregnancy cycle. A cyst is a closed sac that forms in the body. Ovarian cysts begin in the ovaries and can contain tissue, fluid, or blood. Cysts that form during pregnancy normally have fluid in them.

There are different types of ovarian cysts. Most cysts during a pregnancy are functional. This means that they occur because of normal functions in the ovaries. Luteum and follicular cysts are the two types of functional cysts. Some women choose to use birth control to prevent this normal function.

The corpus luteum is responsible for making progesterone and helps begin pregnancy. It is a small sac that ranges in size from 2 cm to 6cm. It leaves the ovaries following the egg and remains in the body for early pregnancy. When it remains longer than it should it can form a luteum cyst. Most of the time there are no symptoms, but if there are they typically go away by the second trimester.

The follicle holding the unfertilized egg can also develop into a cyst. This type of functional cyst is called follicular. During a pregnancy, the follicle dissolves and the egg is released and fertilized. When there are more than one egg, the extra eggs are not always released. This follicle may not dissolve and rather form into a cyst and grow. Most follicular cysts also go away by the second trimester.

Although normal, functional cysts can cause pain. Larger cysts are at risk for rupture or twisting. A ruptured cyst can be painful and the pain can last for several hours.

Ovarian cancer is frequently a worry of most women who have ovarian cysts. This is because ovarian cysts can be cancerous. However, ovarian cancer is prevalent amongst menopausal women. It is very rare that an ovarian cyst in a pregnancy is cancerous.

Ovarian cysts and pregnancy are related because they are a function of the childbearing woman. Most ovarian cyst are harmless and go away naturally. If they do become a serious concern, a doctor can diagnose and remove them.

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