Of all ovarian cysts, the follicular cyst is the most common. It is formed due to a malfunction towards the end of a menstrual cycle.
Human eggs are stored in fluid-filled sacs called follicles. As each egg matures, its follicle wall breaks to release it for fertilization or dissolution. However sometimes due to a malfunction, the follicle does not rupture. This is when it becomes a cyst that can grow larger than normal, and get filled up with more fluid or tissue. It normally returns into ovarian tissue over days or weeks.
Follicular ovarian cysts are usually quite harmless, and often unnoticed. Pain is the most common symptom, occurring if a cyst grows rapidly, stretches or twists, and ruptures. It may however in some rare cases become a benign tumor. This condition is often referred to as a complicated ovarian cyst.
Like other cysts, a persistent ovarian cyst must be diagnosed and closely monitored. This can be done by clinical examination, ultrasound and if needed, by laparoscopic scans . That much is essential, to ensure that it remains non-malignant. You need to know that a cystic pattern could lead even to multiple cysts.
Traditionally, the most favored treatment, in case of severe pain or discomfort is surgical removal, after which, pathologists finally diagnose its type. Follicular ovarian cysts are removed safely and quickly by laparotomy. There are also other therapies for cyst removal.
However, no treatment targeting symptomatic cyst removal can positively guarantee that it won't recur. This is unsurprising, because even harmless follicular cysts are caused by internal or systemic problems. For freedom from recurrence, therapy needs to take a holistic approach to the underlying causes - to treat the whole mind-body complex.
