What are the symptoms and treatment of ovarian cysts?

Gynecological diseases are the most common diseases among women, and ovarian cysts are one of them. When this happens, most people will not feel anything at the beginning. By the time they discover it, the ovarian cyst has grown to a certain extent. So what are the symptoms of ovarian cysts? What measures should be taken to treat ovarian cysts?

Ovarian cysts have no obvious clinical manifestations in the early stages and are often discovered only during gynecological examinations when patients seek medical treatment for other diseases. Later, as the tumor grows, patients begin to feel it. The symptoms and signs vary depending on the nature, size, development, and presence or absence of secondary degeneration or complications of the tumor.

1. Discomfort in the lower abdomen

It is the initial symptom before the patient feels a lower abdominal mass. Due to the weight of the tumor itself and the influence of intestinal peristalsis and changes in body position, the tumor moves in the pelvic cavity, involving its pedicle and pelvic infundibulum ligament, causing the patient to have a feeling of fullness and falling in the lower abdomen or iliac fossa.

2. Increased abdominal circumference and abdominal mass

It is the most common phenomenon in the main complaint. The patient finds that his clothes or belt seem tight and small, and then notices the enlargement of the abdomen, or feels it accidentally in the morning, so he presses his abdomen and finds a tumor in the abdomen, coupled with abdominal distension and discomfort.

3. Abdominal pain

If the tumor has no complications, there is very little pain. Therefore, if patients with ovarian tumors feel abdominal pain, especially if it occurs suddenly, it is mostly due to torsion of the tumor pedicle, or occasionally due to tumor rupture, bleeding or infection. In addition, malignant cysts often cause abdominal pain and leg pain, and the pain often causes patients to seek emergency treatment.

4. Menstrual disorders

Generally, ovarian cysts, or even bilateral ovarian cysts, do not cause menstrual disorders because they do not destroy all normal ovarian tissues. Some uterine bleeding is not endocrine, but is caused by ovarian tumors that change the pelvic blood vessel distribution, causing endometrial congestion; or it is caused by direct metastasis of ovarian malignant tumors to the endometrium. Menstrual disorders caused by endocrine tumors are often combined with other secretory influences.

5. Compression symptoms

Huge ovarian tumors can cause dyspnea and palpitations due to compression of the diaphragm. Ovarian tumors combined with large amounts of ascites can also cause these symptoms. However, the dyspnea of ​​some ovarian tumor patients is caused by unilateral or bilateral pleural effusion, and is often combined with ascites, forming the so-called Meigs syndrome.

A huge benign ovarian cyst fills the entire abdominal cavity, increasing the intra-abdominal pressure, affecting the venous return of the lower limbs, and can lead to edema of the abdominal wall and bilateral lower limbs; while a malignant ovarian cyst fixed in the pelvic cavity compresses the iliac vein, often causing edema of one side of the lower limb.

Regarding surgical treatment of complications of ovarian cysts:

1. After the diagnosis of ovarian cyst pedicle torsion is confirmed, emergency surgery is required. First, intramuscular injection of analgesics, such as pethidine, is performed. Regardless of the patient's age, it is appropriate to perform an adnexectomy on the affected side.

2. If an ovarian cyst ruptures, laparotomy should be performed as soon as possible, because the contents of the cyst overflow into the abdominal cavity, whether it is benign or malignant, there is a possibility of implantation, so the abdominal cavity and incision should be thoroughly lavaged.

3. If ovarian cysts are complicated by infection and anti-infection drugs are used for a period of time, but the body moisture does not decrease or the local symptoms become more severe, laparotomy should be performed to remove the tumor to eliminate the infection focus. The symptoms can often subside quickly.

4. Ovarian cysts and peritoneum adhesions are often seen in patients with giant ovarian cysts misdiagnosed as massive ascites, who have undergone repeated abdominal paracentesis or ovarian cyst infection.

As can be seen from the above, if you experience low back pain, menstrual disorders, or abdominal discomfort, you should go to the hospital for a check-up in time to rule out the possibility of ovarian cysts. If ovarian cysts occur, it is best to go to a professional and regular hospital for examination and treatment, allowing the doctor to take reasonable measures based on the patient's condition, and surgical treatment can be performed if necessary.