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Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• What is the ovary and what are ovarian cysts?
• What causes ovarian cysts?
• What symptoms are caused by ovarian cysts?
• How are ovarian cysts diagnosed?
• How can the physician decide if an ovarian cyst is dangerous?
• How are ovarian cysts treated?
• What are the risks of ovarian cysts during pregnancy?
• Ovarian Cysts At A Glance
• Patient Comments: Ovarian Cysts - Symptoms
• Patient Comments: Ovarian Cysts - Treatments
• Find a local Obstetrician-Gynecologist in your town
• Ovarian Cysts Index

Ovarian cysts are sometimes discovered during pregnancy. In most cases, they are found as an incidental finding at the time of routine prenatal ultrasound screening. The majority of ovarian cysts found during pregnancy are benign tumors that do not require surgical intervention. However, surgery may be indicated if there is a suspicion of malignancy, if an acute complication such as rupture or torsion (twisting of the cyst, disrupting the blood supply) develops, or if the size of the cyst is likely to present problems with the pregnancy.

• Ovarian cysts closed, sac-like structures within the ovary that are filled with a liquid, semisolid, or gaseous substance.
  
  
• Ovarian cysts form for numerous reasons.
  
  
• When a cyst causes symptoms, pain in the belly or pelvis is by far the most common one.
  
  
• Most cysts are diagnosed by ultrasound.
  
  
• The treatment of ovarian cysts depends upon the individual situation and varies from observation and monitoring to surgical procedures.

REFERENCE: eMedicine.com. Ovarian Cysts.
<http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/255865-overview>

Previous contributing author: Carolyn Crandall, MD, FACP