What Is an Ovarian Cyst? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Types of Ovarian Cysts

• Follicular Cyst A structure in the ovaries called a follicle typically releases an egg each month. A follicular cyst develops when the follicle doesn’t rupture and release its egg but instead continues to grow and fills with fluid.
• Corpus Luteum Cyst After releasing its egg, a follicle typically shrinks and begins producing estrogen and progesterone. It is then called the corpus luteum. But if the opening where the egg came from is blocked, the corpus luteum can fill with fluid.

• Dermoid Cysts Also known as teratomas, these cysts form from embryonic cells. So they may contain the same types of tissue that make up hair, skin, and teeth.
• Cystadenomas These cysts develop on the surface of the ovary and contain a watery or mucouslike fluid.
• Endometriomas These develop as a result of endometriosis, a condition in which uterine cells grow outside the uterus. This tissue can attach to an ovary to form a cyst.
• Ovarian Cancer Cysts These are solid masses of cancer cells. Ovarian cancer cysts are most common after menopause.

Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cysts

• Pressure in your abdomen
• Bloating or a feeling of fullness
• Swelling
• Lower abdominal pain (sharp or dull, and it may come and go) on the side with the cyst

• Pelvic pain
• Dull ache in your lower back and thighs
• Pain during sex
• Pain during your period or irregular periods
• Unusual vaginal bleeding
• Unexplained weight gain
• Breast tenderness
• Frequent urination
• Problems emptying your bladder or bowel completely

• Sudden, severe pain
• Vaginal bleeding
• Nausea or vomiting
• Bloating or fullness in the abdomen
• Pressure or aching in the abdomen

If you experience these symptoms, get medical help right away.

Causes and Risk Factors of Ovarian Cysts

• Drugs that stimulate ovulation, including the fertility drug clomiphene (Clomid)
• Pregnancy
• Underlying conditions such as hormone disorders, endometriosis, and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• A severe pelvic infection
• A previous ovarian cyst

Editor’s Note: Following a May 2026 global consensus, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is now officially called polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), highlighting the metabolic roots of the condition.

How Are Ovarian Cysts Diagnosed?

• Pregnancy Test If positive, it may suggest that you have a corpus luteum cyst, which is typical during pregnancy. If negative, your doctor will recommend other types of tests.
• CA 125 Blood Test If the cyst is partially solid and you’re at a high risk of ovarian cancer, your doctor may order this test. Blood levels of a protein called cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) are often elevated in women with ovarian cancer. Noncancerous conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and pelvic inflammatory disease can also cause elevated CA 125 levels.
• Pelvic Ultrasound Your doctor may use a wand called a transducer to perform a transvaginal ultrasound. This will create images that can confirm the presence of a cyst, help determine its location, and detect whether it’s solid, filled with fluid, or mixed.
• Laparoscopy With the use of a laparoscope (a long, thin tube with a high-resolution camera attached to the end) inserted through a small incision in your abdomen, your doctor can see your ovaries and sometimes remove the cyst.

Treatment and Medication Options for Ovarian Cysts

• Hormonal Contraceptives Birth control pills can keep cysts from recurring, but they won’t shrink an existing cyst.
• Surgery If the cyst is large, doesn’t look like a functional cyst, is growing, continues through two or three menstrual cycles, or causes pain, your doctor may suggest having it surgically removed. Some cysts can be removed without removing the ovary (ovarian cystectomy), but in other cases, your doctor may suggest that you remove the affected ovary (oophorectomy).

Prevention of Ovarian Cysts

How Long Do Ovarian Cysts Last?

Complications of Ovarian Cysts

• Ovarian Torsion A painful twisting of an ovary, ovarian torsion can occur when enlarged cysts cause the ovary to twist around itself. Symptoms can include an abrupt onset of severe pelvic pain, nausea, and vomiting. Ovarian torsion is a medical emergency requiring surgery to untwist or remove the ovary.

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• Rupture The larger the cyst is, the more likely it is to rupture. Some ruptures cause only mild symptoms that can be managed with pain medication, but in other cases, a ruptured cyst can cause severe pain in the abdomen and bleeding; these symptoms require immediate medical attention.

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   Vigorous activity that affects the pelvis, such as vaginal intercourse, increases your risk for rupture.

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