Ask a doctor on the topic of Gynecology

Cyst or tumor

May 31, 2021 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Hello,
I went to the gynecologist because of pain in my lower abdomen, who detected a 3.7 cm cyst on my left ovary. When asked, he said it was a functional cyst and he had no indication that it could be anything malignant. Nevertheless, I am worried. I don't have unbearable pain, but I do have significant pressure sensitivity on the lower left side, for example when bending over.
The strange thing is, I had identical pain once in January and once in March. Both times, the gynecologist found a small 2 cm cyst on the right side and a yeast infection. The cysts seem to have disappeared, but I still have the yeast infection and was prescribed a stronger medication yesterday. But can such small cysts really explain the pain? Don't pain rather indicate a tumor and are a clear sign? Also, in the last few weeks, I have had pain in my pelvis and abdomen (attributed to muscular causes). Now I read that an ovarian tumor would spread there. Now I am afraid that the cyst is actually a tumor that has spread to my pelvis and abdomen. Inflammation levels in the blood are not present according to the current findings. But I haven't gotten my period either, I don't want to die from an ovarian tumor at 22. I hope you can help me.

Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Hello,

Your worries are completely unnecessary! Any student can distinguish a cyst from a solid tumor on ultrasound, especially an experienced gynecologist. A cyst is filled with fluid, a tumor is solid. One appears black on ultrasound, the other white.

You are also mistaken: cysts can sometimes cause pain, as they are formed by a slight blockage during ovulation, leading to a mild and temporary inflammatory reaction. Malignant tumors, however, do not cause pain for a long time, and they are often only discovered when they are already the size of a child's head.

So there is no reason to doubt the diagnosis of "cyst".

Warm regards, Dr. Gehring