GynoFiles

Dermoid Cyst of the Ovary (Benign Cystic Teratoma) Most ovarian cysts come and go. In fact most ovarian cysts never make it to the attention of your health care provider. However, those ovarian cysts that are present on a serial set of ultrasounds become signficantly less likely to ever resolve without your gynecologist intervening. Persistent pelvic masses are not always ovarian cancers, in fact many will be the non-cancerous dermoid cyst shown in this picture.In a review of a study of ovarian masses seen on ultrasound in women over 50 a new study reported in the AJOG in November 2015 has shown that watching and repeating the ultrasound actually did better at determining if an ovarian mass was really cancerous. In this study patients were watched over 3 years. In the past it was thought that a mass of stable size over 6 months would not be a cancer. The theory was that ovarian masses either are cancerous or not cancerous and that masses that are not cancerous cannot evolve into a...

Pelvic pressure is a common complaint, with many common causes. It can be a premenstrual cramp, a bit of bloating, a big meal or just what most pregnant moms feel. Pelvic pressure can be due to enlarging pelvic organs for reasons other than pregnancy: fibroids, or an ovarian cyst. Bladder infections, constipation, and hemorrhoids can also cause symptoms of pressure.  But there is something called a hernia due to a weakness in the very back upper portion of the vagina, called the pouch of Douglas, that can cause pelvic pressure. Some women have other pelvic problems at that same time as this internal vaginal hernia: they may have dropping of the bladder, the back wall of the vagina, or an actual dropping of the uterus itself. These problems, having the, cystocele, dropping of bladder, or a rectocele, dropping of the rectum into the vagina are actually both hernias as well, and an anatomic problem you may be able to have some sense of just by self examination. Internal hernias ...