Dermoid ovarian cyst
A dermoid ovarian cyst is a benign neoplasm on the ovary that appears in about 20% of women suffering from a disease such as a “cyst”. The tumor has several variants of the name: dermoid or mature teratoma. A dermoid ovarian cyst appears in the form of a small smooth sac of a round or oval shape. The size of the cyst can reach 15 cm, while the inner area is filled with various types of epithelium.
The content of the article:
Causes of dermoid ovarian cyst
Symptoms of a dermoid ovarian cyst
Diagnosis of dermoid cyst
Treatment of dermoid ovarian cyst
Prognosis of specialists on dermoid ovarian cyst
Dermoid ovarian cyst
The development of a cyst occurs on the basis of violations of the interaction of cells and tissues inside the womb of a woman. Dermoid ovarian cyst manifests itself regardless of female age. Children, teenagers, and women close to menopausal changes in the body turn to specialists for help.
Causes of dermoid ovarian cyst
The causes of formations of mature teratomas may be hidden behind hormonal failures in a woman’s body, abdominal trauma and the imminent onset of menopause. Cyst growth is very slow and most often it appears on some one ovary. After the detection of an ovarian cyst, a woman should definitely seek the advice of a specialist, because according to statistics, up to 3% of teratomas degenerate into cancer.
Symptoms of a dermoid ovarian cyst
The development of an uncomplicated cyst is absolutely asymptomatic. But if the size of the dermoid cyst increases, then the first signs characteristic of benign formations appear — a feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen and discomfort in the abdominal cavity. When the cyst reaches especially large sizes, urination becomes more frequent, symptoms of constipation and diarrhea appear, the overall body temperature rises, and the stomach visually becomes larger. The presence of these symptoms indicates the need for a gynecological examination.
The danger of a dermoid cyst is that during the increase in its size, it displaces non-infected tissues from the ovary. The neoplasm compresses the vessels of the ovary, which leads to its disappearance. The process of changes in the female body occurs imperceptibly, as a healthy ovary begins to perform a double amount of work. The disappearance of the ovary is not the only consequence of the influence of a dermoid cyst. During the enlargement, the ovary can twist around its leg, which can lead to the cessation of its blood flow. The first signs of this process are: severe abdominal pain, nausea, fever, palpitations and low blood pressure. “Twisting” of the leg of the ovarian cyst can occur during sports, this option requires emergency surgery. The development of a cyst directly depends on the patient’s health, the size of the tumor itself and its location.
Diagnosis of dermoid cyst
Diagnosis of an ovarian cyst occurs during a routine examination by a gynecologist, registration of a pregnant woman or as a result of an independent visit to a gynecologist. Since a dermoid cyst develops without clear symptoms, the detection of the formation will not be as frequent. The doctor can use two methods of examination: vaginal-abdominal and recto-abdominal. Teratoma during palpation manifests itself as an oval elastic foreign body near the uterus. The palpation procedure is painless, but may cause slight discomfort. To confirm the diagnosis of “dermoid ovarian cyst”, you need to undergo an ultrasound examination, which will show the size of the cyst, its composition and the level of blood supply. Further examination takes place using computed tomography or MRI. If a malignant tumor is suspected, it is additionally necessary to pass an analysis for cancer markers and perform a puncture of tissues from the vagina. A mature teratoma needs a thorough study: anamnesis collection, examination by a specialist (rectovaginal, if necessary), ultrasound examination, puncture and cytology, etc.
The most important subject of diagnosis is the tubercle of the dermoid, examined histologically during puncturing, laparoscopy.
Treatment of dermoid ovarian cyst
The only way to eliminate a dermoid cyst is surgery. Treatment of the tumor with medications and procedures will not give the expected result. The main difference between dermoid and other types of cyst is its fullness. The elements contained inside will not allow the dermoid cyst to resolve on its own.
When developing a tumor treatment system, the characteristics of each patient’s body are taken into account: age, size of the formation and its location, the condition of the tumor, the presence of leg twisting, etc.
For young girls, a dermoid cyst is removed either without affecting healthy tissues, or with the removal of a part of the ovary where a tumor has formed. Women of the menopausal period completely remove the ovary, and sometimes the fallopian tube.
Twisting of the cyst leg requires immediate surgery, laparoscopy or laparotomy. The postoperative period is based on the rehabilitation of the woman’s body and normalization of the hormonal system.
Prognosis of specialists on dermoid ovarian cyst
It should be borne in mind that conception of a child is possible only 6 months after surgery. A small cyst that formed during pregnancy needs regular examination by a specialist. If the size of the tumor increases, then it must be removed after the 16th week of pregnancy. To exclude the degeneration of a dermoid cyst into a malignant formation, dermoids can be removed only after childbirth. A cyst with a twisted leg and possible suppuration needs to be removed at any stage of pregnancy in order to save the mother’s life.
Timely diagnosis and proper treatment of ovarian cysts gives a favorable prognosis for the restoration of basic female reproductive functions. The development of a mature teratoma after its removal is very rare and only if there are rudiments of a dermoid cyst in the ovary, therefore, after the removal of the tumor, it is necessary to undergo a gynecological examination twice a year. If the cyst has increased in size, but its removal has not been carried out, the woman needs to reduce physical activity in order to avoid twisting the cyst leg and prevent its transformation into a malignant tumor.
Dermoid ovarian cyst and pregnancy. Despite the presence of a cyst, the possibility of getting pregnant exists, since the development of pathology has no effect on the hormonal level. But the presence of a cyst during pregnancy will jeopardize the carrying of the baby. During pregnancy, the uterus grows and displaces many organs that can touch the cyst and provoke twisting of the leg. Therefore, when planning a pregnancy, be sure to remove pathological neoplasms.
