Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Ovarian Cysts
The ovaries are part of the female reproductive system. They produce a woman's eggs and make female hormones. Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs in or on an ovary. They usually form during ovulation, when the ovary releases an egg. They are usually harmless and go away by themselves. Most women have them sometime during their lives.
Most ovarian cysts are small and don't cause symptoms. Women may not find out that they have them until they have a pelvic exam. If there are symptoms, they may include:
- Pressure
- Bloating
- Swelling
- Pain in the lower abdomen, on the side where the cyst is
If your health care provider finds a cyst, you may be able to wait to see if it gets bigger. You may need surgery if you have pain, are past menopause, or if the cyst does not go away. If a cyst bursts or causes bleeding, you should get medical help right away. Birth control pills can help prevent new cysts.
Rarely, ovarian cysts can become cancerous. This risk increases as you get older.
A health problem that involves ovarian cysts is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Women with PCOS can have high levels of male hormones, irregular or no periods, and small ovarian cysts.
Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health
It sits within Women, Endocrine System and Female Reproductive System.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Ovarian Cysts
1,036 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Evaluation of Serum Preptin Levels in Patients With Polycystic Ovary SyndromeGÜLDEN ANATACA
- Construction of a Multi-dimensional Risk Assessment System: a Clinical Study of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Complicated With ThrombophiliaGuangdong Women and Children Hospital
- Biomarker Panel for PCOS-Associated Liver Steatosis in Adolescent Girls (COMPASS-pedPCOS)Kayseri City Hospital
- PCOS and Brain HealthUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison
- The REBALANCE Study - a Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Pivotal Study of the May Health SystemMay Health
- MINDFULNESS-BASED EDUCATION FOR WOMEN WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROMEAydin Adnan Menderes University
Research already completed
- Treatment of Menstrual Cycle Alterations in AdolescentsLo.Li.Pharma s.r.l
- Inositol in Letrozol Resistant PCOS WomenKafrelsheikh University
- Effects of Folic Acid and Vitamin E on Hormones in Polycystic Ovary SyndromeAl-Mustansiriyah University
- Management of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome-associated Reproductive Dysfunction Through Kefir SupplementationUniversity of Lahore
- Myo-Inositol and D-Chiro-Inositol for Menstrual Irregularities and Hormone Changes in Women With Polycystic Ovarian SyndromeNishtar Medical University
- Effect of a Digital Health Education Program on Quality of Life in Women With Polycystic Ovary SyndromeNear East University, Turkey
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Learn More
- DHEA-sulfate testMedical Encyclopedia
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) blood testMedical Encyclopedia
- LaparoscopyNational Library of Medicine
- Ovarian CystsDepartment of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health
- Ovarian Cysts and Infertility: A Connection?Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Pelvic laparoscopyMedical Encyclopedia
- Pelvic laparoscopy - seriesMedical Encyclopedia
- Pelvic ultrasound - abdominalMedical Encyclopedia
- Pelvis MRI scanMedical Encyclopedia
- Pelvis UltrasoundRadiological Society of North America
- Transvaginal ultrasoundMedical Encyclopedia
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Ovarian CystsNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Ovarian Cysts. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Ovarian Cysts, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.