Massive ovarian cyst and pregnant

[starkadder]

I did a pregnancy test last week and it was positive. Was very happy.

Went to doctor today for an early scan (as had 2 MMCs before DS1, who is now 15 mths) and he said he couldn't see any baby but he could see an 8 cm cyst on my right ovary.

Live in Spain with private health insurance so went, feeling sick and shaking, to another gynae 30 mins later, who said that the pregnancy is still in the very early stages, so it is not yet possible to tell if it is viable or not (she said - it could just be very early - since you have irregular periods, there's no reason to assume it's a MMC) - and confirmed the cyst. But she said it was 6cm.

I have ti go and have HCG tests tomorrow to check on the pregnancy and then am supposed to come back in 2 weeks (since am going to the UK on hols) to talk about the cyst.

Feel sick and terrified. What does it mean? Is it possible to be pregnant and have a cyst that big? Has anyone got any experience of this??

Hi i had a 5-6cm ovarian cyst in my third pregnancy, which was picked up on my 12 week dating scan. Caused no problems inicially or too the baby but was in alot of pain towards end of pregnancy as the baby pressed agaist it.
Hope all goes well with your pregnancy.

Yes, I got rushed to hosp 15 years ago with suspected appendicitis, and it turned out to be a massive ovarian cyst. They then said I was three or four weeks pregnant, which was a huge shock!

I had the cyst removed in an operation, and the three-week-old foetus is now a six foot tall 14-year-old.

My doc said that almost everyone has harmless ovarian cysts, but the pregnancy hormones can "feed" the cyst, and it's not uncommon to have to get them removed in early pregnancy.

I hope this puts your mind at rest, and I hope it all works out well for you. x

Thank you so much, both of you - you have made me feel much better.

It is all complicated by the fact that my last period was 19 May, so I should be about 10 weeks pregnant - which would seem to mean that this is another MMC - but I have always had very irregular periods (every 6-8 weeks, or longer) so maybe it is all OK and just in early stages. It is the not knowing which is so awful.

So - sleepingbag - that was one of the things I didn'tunderstand - is it OK to just have the cyst remain there?? They told me they would remove it but that it would be after I get back from the UK (in about 3 weeks) - so I didn't know whether I should be worried about walking around with this huge orange sized tumour inside me or not I guess not though, if yours remained there the whole time you were pregnant??

My cousin has just had a very healthy baby boy, full term, whilst also having a cyst the size of a grapefruit. She had a c section and had the cyst removed at the same time. No probs int he pregnancy.

Hope all goes well for you.

i had one 7 cm which was discovered in early pregnancy scan. My doctor told me not ot have it removed until i had completed my family.

this was at kings the leading hospital on foetal medecine I think. They said that hospitals generally have a rule that if the cyst is bigger than 5 cm then it should be removed but infact this is just completely arbitary, and actually it doesn't matter unless its causing you pain. And it may damage your ovary to remove it.

the down side is that i had a massive bump in pregnancy, terrible stretch marks, and now have a granny tummy and need to save all my child tax credits for a tummy tuck!

Thanks again gyus Granny tummy would be fine by me if this little baby was going to be fine and if this cyst was not going to cause issues.

Am miserable about it as have been feeling really pregnant - feeling sick, stretching feeling in my uterus - that kind of thing - just like with DS1 - and was therefore quite positive until today. Now I think that maybe that is all the damn cyst and not the baby at all. Feeling sorry for myself...pathetic...! But you have all made me feel a LOT better.

I had a huge ovarian cyst with both my pregnancies and both my babies were big and healthy. I had the first cyst removed when ds was 2 years old via a laparoscopy - it was the size of a grapefruit. I had the second one removed (along with my right ovary and fallopian tube) on Tuesday last week via a laparotmoy as it was HUGE!!!! Really really enormous, it was up under my rib cage!

I had no problems in either pregnancy, but I was monitored more frequently. I had a c-section with both but that was more to do with big babies/small me than the cyst.

The main risk with a cyst it that it could burst or twist and you would know about it if it did. If it starts causing you pain and get back in touch with the doctor. Try not to worry, I know it's easier said than done. I've had two huge cysts that caused no real symptoms. HTH.

I had an ovarian cyst removed at 14 weeks pregnant, 9 years ago. The could only measure up to 10 inches in diameter, so it was larger than that.

It was removed along with my ovary and apart from a huge mid-line scar from pubic bone to belly button and an immediate two stone weight loss I have no ill-effects.

I went on to have my son normally at term, and have had five babies since then with no fertility issues.

Geepers - I had a midline incision too. I look like I've been autopsied at the moment! I haven't lost two stone though.

Thanks again everyone. MN can be miraculous.

I do have back pain - and twinges on my right side (it's on the right ovary) which run down my leg. Sound familiar???
Maybe they will have to remove it. Maybe the 2 stone weight loss can be my silver lining

MN rules though. I have gone from feeling like I have a life threatening tumour and a missed miscarriage (3 hours ago - from doctor's helfpul comments) to thinking that it's possible I just have a very common problem which doesn't necessarily need an operation and which won't affect my baby or fertility - and maybe even that the baby is OK too - and that I just have to be patient and wait and see what happens.

I had an 11cm cyst with my last pregnancy. You could see a big lump when I was lying down and the first doctor I saw just thought I was further along in my pregnancy than first thought. Mine was quiet painful though and got worse and worse. They dithered for ages about whether or not to operate and decided not to until the thing haemmoraged and I was in agony (bad as late labour). In the end they refused to operate (after leaving me nil by mouth for nearly a week with their dithering) and drained it under a local.

The problem they had with operating is thet said if it was a corpeus lutem cyst (which everyone has during pregancy "The corpus luteum is essential for establishing and maintaining pregnancy in females.
In the ovary, the corpus luteum secretes estrogens and progesterone, which are steroid hormones responsible for the thickening of the endometrium and its development and maintenance, respectively").

Anyway when the placenta takes over in the pregnancy the cyst is not longer needed. The doctors in my case were worried that at 10 weeks if they removed the cyst it could cause miscarriage. I had been having pains before the pregnancy but they ignored that and decided to be cautious.

I hope I haven't scared you! If you are not having much pain then I would wait to have it removed until slightly further into your pregnancy or after if poss. But I am not a dcotor so best check with them what the best option is.

I was told that in the UK it is not usual to operate on pregnant women unless absolutely necessary. I don't know what they do in Spain. They seem keener to operate in the US from my google research. I suspect that they will leave it. If it is a simple cyst then it will just be full of fluid, like a blister, and will squash out of baby's way. The risk of the cyst twisting decreases as the baby grows as there is less room for the cyst to move about.

I had a mega bump both times too. Added to the fact that I have a very short body and two babies that didn't engage, I have a totally ruined tummy too!

Hi starkadder, I had a scan at 10 weeks in this pregnancy and they found an 8cm+ simple cyst on my ovary. They kept an eye on it and after doing a ca125 test which was normal, they weren't too concerened as it wasn't causing much pain (the occasional twinge). I had a few more scans and luckily by my 20 week scan it had gone, they expected it to shrink, but if it hadn't I think they were planning to refer me on.

Good luck and hope your HCG tests go well, it does sound like your in the early stages.

thanks Marthasmama. I am not sure what to worry about most - the huge cyst or the potential missed miscarriage...

...Please - all of you cross your fingers for me for the baby to be OK....

...think I am going to go to bed and try to repress it all

Just to say I had my ovary twist while I was pregnant, it was huge due to ivf then a twin pregnancy...I had to have morphine injections for the pain, but was all ok in the end. I have had cysts in the past and they have come and gone on their own, it might well shrink on its own...
I wouldn't worry too much.

Fingers are crossed for you. Good luck!

Hi guys - got the HCG test done today and the result is 5980UI/ml, which according to the piece of paper, corresponds to 4-5 weeks pregnant. Which matches the size of the sac they saw so - I think - is good news. is it??? Appt with doctor not till tomorrow.

Maybe I will start a new thread about HCG results..!

Hi there
I had a cyst sized 18cm x 10cm at 6 weeks. My Consulatant was unsure what to do as it was so big. She decided to drain it, which she did successfully 4or 5 times. I ended up having a healthy baby boy delivered naturally even though I still had the cyst and had the cyst removed by a laparotomy 2 months after his birth.
Fingers crossed for you make sure you discuss all options with your consultant,my consultant even rang around other hospitals to speak to a range of other consultants to see what had been done to other patients before deciding the best treatment for me.