Do you have a dermoid ovarian cyst?

Although women 40 years and over experience most reproductive system-related ailments, there is one disorder that can be more prevalent during the child-bearing years (from first menstruation to menopause). I’m talking about a dermoid ovarian cyst. This is one of the three types of ovarian cyst which include cystadenomas and endometrioma cysts. The difference lies in its composition and where the cysts are located. Dermoid (found inside the uterus) cysts are similar to endometrioma cysts (found outside the uterus) since both are solid in nature while cystadenomas cysts are liquid surrounded by very thin lining.

Among the three ovarian cysts types, dermoid ovarian cyst is the most common and it’s quite unique in the sense that it is composed of different kind of cells. The chance of the cysts developing can start as soon as the menstruation begins. This is because the mass is formed from the egg cells. Remember that once ovulation occurs, egg cell is produced. The composition of the mass in a dermoid cyst may also come from the tissues of the teeth, skin and hair. Although there is a little chance of turning into cancerous cells, it can give extreme discomfort.

Ovarian cysts symptoms may include intense pain from the lower abdominal area down to the thighs. This usually results when the mass is twisted as it enlarges overtime. Early signs of a dermoid ovarian cyst may be construed as just part of the discomforts felt during menstrual period like tenderness of the breast, headache, nausea, vomiting and heaviness or bloating in the abdominal region. Thus, most of the time, it is just dismissed as normal, especially when it also disappears when the menstruation period is over.

An untreated ovarian dermoid cyst can show more revealing signs  such as severe and sharp pain in the pelvic area, difficulty in urination, unaccounted muscular pain in the rib cage area, strange nodules appearing like bruises beneath the skin surface, and increased facial and body hair.

Women with a family history of ovarian cysts may more likely develop a dermoid ovarian cyst. It can be diagnosed during routine physical check up with a gynecologist through physical examination of the pelvic area. So it is important that you take doctor’s recommendation of executive check every three years as early as puberty when menstruation begins. For confirmation of the presence of mass or masses, an ultrasound is usually done.

In extreme cases when the mass is as big as an orange or if it is found to be composed of immature teratoma (cancerous cells), surgery is often undertaken. But this is quite rare since only about 1 to 2 percent account for ovarian cancer. So, this is usually done as the last resort since surgical intervention can produce more complications. Instead practitioners usually focus on the underlying cause of cysts, and prefer to treat them holistically..

But if surgical removal of the dermoid cyst is inevitable, it’s good to know that it doesn’t cause infertility. Most surgeons are more concerned about scar formation. As a healing aid, they would usually apply an anti-adhesion formation substance like Interceed right after the removal of a large cyst. As long as there is normal ovarian tissue left and even if a part of your ovaries are taken out, ovulation will still occur. You can still have babies.

A dermoid ovarian cyst, though not considered fatal, can still bring you extreme discomfort because of the sharp pain in the abdominal area. A visit to your gynecologist every two years before you reach the age of 40 and once every year when you’re beyond 40 can lead to early detection of a dermoid ovarian cyst. Doctors are then in a better position to intervene in the abnormal growth of the cyst.