An ovarian cyst is a structure on the wall of the ovary that is filled with fluid. They are fairly common in women and can occur during pregnancy. In fact, it is estimated that 1 in 1000 pregnant women will get an ovarian cyst. In most cases the cyst is harmless and has no obvious symptoms

Many ovarian cysts found during the course of a pregnancy are not malignant and it is quite uncommon for a pregnant woman to get ovarian cancer. To determine this, a doctor conduct an ultrasound of the abdomen to establish if an ovarian cyst is cancerous or non-cancerous. A benign cyst appears as a fluid-filled sac without any thick walls of septation. Even so, an ultrasound cannot determine if a cyst is malignant with 100 percent accuracy.

Ovarian cysts can become large, even when they are benign, and this leads to special complications during pregnancy. Though large cysts can cause pain whether or not a woman is pregnant, when a large cyst ruptures or twists on itself during pregnancy, there is the possibility of a miscarriage or pre-term labor. A baby may be delivered earlier than usual due to complications with ovarian cysts during pregnancy.

Only in rare circumstances will ovarian cysts during pregnancy cause difficulties. However, even if the ovarian cyst becomes enlarged or ruptures, the main concern would be pain not infection. Pain relievers can manage any discomfort caused and won’t harm the developing pregnancy. Even women with ovarian cysts during pregnancy can utilize anesthesia during labor, meaning that ovarian cysts are usually not a cause for major worries or concerns during pregnancy.

If the cyst gets to be quite large it can twist on itself. This can be painful and will often necessitate a surgical procedure to remove the cyst. This shouldn’t harm the baby or adversely affect the pregnancy in any way, but if it can be avoided then it should be during a pregnancy. It may become medically necessary to remove when the ovarian cyst is larger than 6 to 8 cm, unless spontaneous shrinkage occurs.

If the ovarian cyst needs to be removed, the optimum time to perform this procedure is during the second trimester as this is the time that will present fewer complications. Ovarian cysts are removed by laparoscopy but larger cysts will probably require an open incision. Because the risk of a large ovarian cyst rupturing is very high, pregnant women who develop large ovarian cysts need to be closely monitored by their doctor.

Ovarian cysts during pregnancy are just as likely to occur as when a women is not pregnant. In both cases, the chances are that they will be harmless and will disappear within a few months. However, your health care provider should monitor the state of any cyst during your pregnancy and you should notify them if any symptoms do develop.