The follicular cyst of the ovary is a type of functional simple cyst, and is the most common type of
ovarian cyst
An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac within the ovary. Often they cause no symptoms. Occasionally they may produce bloating, lower abdominal pain, or lower back pain. The majority of cysts are harmless. If the cyst either breaks open or causes ...
.
Signs and symptoms
Its rupture can create sharp, severe pain on the side of the ovary on which the cyst appears. This sharp pain (sometimes called
mittelschmerz) occurs in the middle of the
menstrual cycle, during ovulation. About a fourth of women with this type of cyst experience pain.Usually, these cysts produce no symptoms and disappear by themselves within a few months.
Pathophysiology
This type can form when ovulation doesn't occur, and a follicle doesn't rupture or release its egg but instead grows until it becomes a cyst, or when a mature follicle involutes (collapses on itself). It usually forms during ovulation, and can grow to about 7 cm in diameter. It is thin-walled, lined by one or more layers of
granulosa
A granulosa cell or follicular cell is a somatic cell of the sex cord that is closely associated with the developing female gamete (called an oocyte or egg) in the ovary of mammals.
Structure and function
In the primordial ovarian follicle, a ...
cell, and filled with clear fluid.
Diagnosis
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hear it. This limit varies ...
is the primary tool used to document the follicular cyst. A doctor monitors these to make sure they disappear, and looks at treatment options if they do not.
[http://www.usc.edu/hsc/dental/opath/Chapters/DictionaryF.html+%22follicular+cyst%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=35&gl=us ]
References
External links
{{Diseases of the pelvis, genitals and breasts
Noninflammatory disorders of female genital tract