How can the physician decide if an ovarian cyst is dangerous?
If a woman is in her 40’s, or younger, and has regular menstrual periods, most ovarian masses are “functioning ovarian cysts,” which are not really abnormal. Examples include follicular cysts and corpus luteum cysts. These are related to the process of ovulation that happens with the menstrual cycle. They usually disappear on their own during a future menstrual cycle. Therefore, especially in women in their 20’s and 30’s, these cysts are watched for a few menstrual cycles to verify that they disappear. Because oral contraceptives work in part by preventing ovulation, physicians will not generally expect women who are taking oral contraceptives to have common “functioning ovarian cysts.” Thus, women who develop ovarian cysts while taking oral contraceptives may be advised against simple observation; rather, they may receive closer monitoring with pelvic ultrasound or, less commonly, surgical exploration of the ovary. Other factors are helpful in evaluating ovarian cysts (besides the wom
