Overview of Ovarian Cysts During Pregnancy
Quite common among all women, ovarian cysts usually take the shape of a small, round sac filled with fluid. Women even get ovarian cysts during pregnancy which happens in approximately one out of every thousand pregnancies.
Many ovarian cysts found during the course of a pregnancy are not malignant and it is quite uncommon for a pregnant woman to get ovarian cancer. A medical practitioner will conduct an ultrasound to determine if an ovarian cyst is cancerous or non-cancerous. A benign cyst appears as a fluid-filled sac without any thick walls of septation. Even so, an ultrasound cannot determine if a cyst is malignant with 100 percent accuracy.
Ovarian cysts can become large, even when they are benign, and this leads to special complications during pregnancy. Though large cysts can cause pain whether or not a woman is pregnant, when a large cyst ruptures or twists on itself during pregnancy, there is the possibility of a miscarriage or pre-term labor. A baby may be delivered earlier than usual due to complications with ovarian cysts during pregnancy.
Ovarian cysts generally do not pose a threat to the health of a pregnant woman unless the cyst grows and breaks apart. Even when an ovarian cyst ruptures, infection is unlikely. Pain can result from a rupturing cyst, however. Using pain relievers can lessen the pain and will not interfere with pregnancy. Even with an ovarian cyst during pregnancy, anesthesia can still be used throughout labor. Therefore, ovarian cysts without further issues do not present concerns to pregnancy.
If the cyst becomes too large and causes pain, surgical intervention is necessary. This will not harm the baby or adversely affect the pregnancy, but surgery is more commonly avoided during a pregnancy. It may become medically necessary to remove when the ovarian cyst is larger than 6 to 8 cm, unless spontaneous shrinkage occurs.
Bear in mind that if they are big enough ovarian cysts during pregnancy will probably rupture. Most doctors simply keep an eye on the situation until the second trimester. If warranted and depending on the size, ovarian cysts can be removed either by laparoscopy or open incision.
In short, while ovarian cysts during pregnancy are fairly common, they should be closely monitored throughout the pregnancy. Ovarian cysts are generally no worse for the health of the would-be mother than they would be at any other time.
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