What is an ovarian cyst?

An ovarian cyst is a general term for any fluid-filled sac on your ovary. There are several different types of cysts, which may be non-cancerous, pre-cancerous, or cancerous. If your primary healthcare provider, such as your GP, has identified an ovarian cyst and believes there is potential for a malignancy (cancer), if the cyst is causing severe symptoms, or if you have experienced a cyst-related complication, you should be referred to a gynaecologist.

Types of cysts include:

Physiological or functional cysts, which develop with your menstrual cycle and typically self-resolve within a few months

Endometriomas, a blood-filled cyst associated with moderate to advanced stages of endometriosis

Cystadenoma, a non-cancerous, progressively growing cyst that often causes symptoms and usually requires surgery

Complex cysts, cysts that are filled with blood or a solid substance, or have nodules on the cyst walls

Cancerous cysts indicating ovarian cancer