An ovarian cyst is found in about 30-40% of women who turn to a gynecologist with complaints or for preventive examination. In itself, this neoplasm does not pose a serious threat to women's health and can result in negative consequences only if the doctor's recommendations are ignored and the treatment is refused.
Cysts are classified according to their origin. Approximately in 20% of cases there is a dermoid ovarian cyst (mature teratoma) - a neoplasm consisting of fragments of the human body (nails, hair, bones, adipose tissue) enclosed in a dense capsule. The cyst refers to benign tumors and rarely regenerates into cancer - in one case out of 100.
Dermoid Ovarian Cyst - Causes
The causes of cysts are not fully understood, but most experts are inclined to believe that the cause of the process of its formation is hormonal imbalance, for example, during puberty or climacteric changes. In this case, the presence of a dermoid ovarian cyst does not affect the menstrual cycle. The most common dermoid cyst is found in young women under the age of 30, but in general can occur at any time.
Dermoid ovarian cyst - symptoms
At the initial stages of development, the dermoid cyst does not manifest itself with any clinical signs and can only be diagnosed by ultrasound.
The appearance of symptoms is associated with the growth of the cyst to a size of 15 or more centimeters. Usually women are concerned about:
- sensation of raspiraniya, soreness and heaviness in the lower abdomen;
- sometimes - an increase in the volume of the abdomen;
- pressure on the bladder and intestines, which is accompanied by increased frequency of mochespuskaniya and violations of stool - diarrhea or constipation.
The dermoid cyst has a propensity for complications, which are manifested as follows:
- inflammation - accompanied by general weakness, fever, abdominal pain;
- in the case of twisting the cyst legs, all the symptoms of the acute abdomen appear: irritation of the abdominal cavity, high fever, a sharp incessant pain, "giving" in the leg.
In the process of gynecological examination, the dermoid cyst is palpated as an elastic smooth formation, round or oval, quite mobile and located somewhat laterally from the uterus. When examining and probing the neoplasm, painful sensations do not arise. As already mentioned above, ultrasound plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of cysts, and sometimes magnetic resonance imaging and tomography are additionally used.
Dermoid ovarian cyst - treatment
To date, the only effective treatment is to remove the dermoid ovarian cyst. The choice of the method of surgical intervention depends on the patient's age. So, women of reproductive age and nulliparous do partial ovarian resection, and women who have crossed the threshold of menopause remove the cyst together in the ovary. After removal of part of the ovary
In order not to leave a large scar after surgery, it is possible to make a laparoscopy of the dermoid ovarian cyst - a form of surgical intervention, when several small incisions are made in the abdominal cavity through which instruments and video equipment are introduced to monitor the course of the operation.
If a dermoid ovarian cyst is detected during pregnancy, but its size is small and it does not interfere with the functioning of the internal organs, then the treatment is postponed until the postpartum period, and the pregnant woman is on special account with the observing doctor.