What are the reactions to ovarian cysts?

Due to the special characteristics of their bodies, women often suffer from some gynecological diseases, ovarian cysts being one of them. Generally speaking, when ovarian cysts first appear, most people will not feel anything. When the cysts develop to a certain extent, obvious symptoms will appear, and may even seriously affect the patient's life. So what exactly is the reaction of ovarian cysts? Let me introduce it to you!

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.

The pelvic and abdominal organs are compressed, causing dysuria, urinary retention, urgency or difficulty in defecation.

Signs:

1. Intra-abdominal mass

The biggest feature of an intra-abdominal mass that is medium in size or smaller, if there are no complications or malignant transformations, is its mobility. It can often move from the pelvic cavity to the abdominal cavity. The mass is generally not tender to touch. However, if there are complications or malignant transformations, not only will the mass itself be tender, but there may even be symptoms of peritoneal irritation.

2. Ascites

The presence of ascites is often a feature of malignant tumors, but benign cysts such as ovarian fibromas and papillary cystadenomas can also produce ascites. Endocrine symptoms such as hirsutism, hoarseness of voice, and clitoromegaly are masculinizing cysts.

3. Cachexia

It is characterized by an extremely distended abdomen, marked weight loss, a painful facial expression, and severe exhaustion.

Clinically, the diagnosis of ovarian tumors should meet four requirements: (1) whether it is an ovarian tumor; (2) what type of ovarian tumor it is; (3) whether there are complications; and (4) on which side the tumor grows.

When ovarian cysts occur, most of the symptoms will be menstrual disorders, abdominal pain, compression symptoms, etc. When these conditions occur, you should go to the hospital for a detailed examination in time. If it is an ovarian cyst, it is best to take appropriate measures under the doctor's advice. If necessary, surgical treatment can be used. Ovarian cysts cannot be ignored. If not treated in time, they may become cancerous.