Burst Ovarian Cyst

An ovarian cyst is a condition where there is a growth or swelling on or inside the ovary. The cyst could be solid or filled with a fluid. Although in most cases, an ovarian cyst appears and recedes on its own, without the need for any kind of medical treatment, or surgery, sometimes the cyst could enlarge and eventually twists and bursts, which leads to a condition called burst ovarian cyst. This is a condition that is slightly difficult to deal with, one of the main reasons being that, an ovarian cyst that has burst, will show symptoms that are similar to those seen in an unruptured ovarian cyst, like ovarian cyst pain. So let us see the causes, symptoms and treatment of burst ovarian cyst.

Burst Ovarian Cyst: Causes

• Trauma to the abdominal region
• A long standing cyst, which failed to recede, despite the intake of medicines
• A large cyst, that underwent torsion and twisting, leading to its blood supply getting cut off, which was followed by bursting

Burst Ovarian Cyst: Symptoms

• In some rare cases, a burst ovary goes unnoticed by the person, and is seen only on an ultrasound scan
• However, one of the main symptoms of bursting ovarian cyst is severe pain in the abdominal and pelvic region. The severity of pain depends on many factors, like the pain threshold of the person, whether the cyst was infected when it burst, whether there was excessive bleeding on bursting of the cyst or not etc.
• In some cases, the pain starts off as a sharp stinging pain, but eventually becomes a dull aching pain after a day or two.
• In some people, the pain is accompanied by low-grade fever as well
• The abdomen may seem bloated or distended and tender on palpation after an ovarian cyst rupture.
• Patient may also experience dizziness, headache, body ache, weakness etc.

Burst Ovarian Cyst: Diagnosis

The symptoms of burst ovarian cyst, like pain in abdominal region, along with certain other signs and symptoms may help in diagnosing it. If there is a family history of polycystic ovarian syndrome, then the diagnosis further becomes easier. However, the final diagnosis can only be made using an ultrasound scan. The ultrasound will clearly help in finding the exact location of the cyst, and in measuring the size of the cyst. Although an abdominal ultrasound will help, the best ultrasound for knowing the location and size of the burst ovarian cyst is the vaginal ultrasound.

Burst Ovarian Cyst: Treatment

The treatment of burst ovarian cyst will depend upon the severity of the condition at the time when the cyst bursts. However, irrespective of the severity of the condition, the person will be started on antibiotics. This is to prevent any chances of an infection due to the burst ovary, and to prevent any spread of infection, in case the ovary that burst was infected. Pain management will also be an important step at this stage, as in most cases, immediately after a burst ovarian cyst, the patient will be in immense pain. Thereafter, the treatment will be designed according to the patients condition, after running a few tests and checking for any complications.

Though most ovarian cysts do not burst, but instead, the fluid in them merely gets reabsorbed and goes away, thus, making the cyst collapse on its own. Usually, a burst ovarian cyst is not a life-threatening condition, but does need to be dealt with immediately, lest it causes any further complications, like hemorrhage or infection. Thus, people who are susceptible to ovarian cysts, or often show symptoms of cysts on ovaries should get check-ups and ultra-scans done on a regular basis.