What does a mass on your ovaries mean?
What is an ovarian mass? The ovaries are the sex organs that produce female hormones, and store and release eggs between puberty and menopause. An ovarian mass may be a cyst or a tumor growth, which may be non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous, that develops in one or both of a girl’s/woman’s ovaries.
What is homogeneous ovarian cyst?
A simple cyst has a thin wall, no sepations and the fluid is homogeneous. These cysts can be watched safely if there are no other concerns. Any complex cyst or solid mass in the ovary of a postmenopausal woman needs to be considered for removal if there is any question that it could be malignant.
What is a heterogeneous adnexal mass?
An adnexal mass is a growth that occurs in or near the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the connecting tissues. They’re usually benign, but are sometimes cancerous. Some of them are filled with fluid, and some are solid. Doctors tend to be more concerned if they’re solid.
What is the difference between an ovarian mass and an ovarian cyst?
Ovarian cysts are sacs or pockets of regular tissues or cells, and are usually filled with fluid, while ovarian tumors are solid masses of cancer cells.
What does heterogeneous appearance mean?
Heterogeneous refers to a structure with dissimilar components or elements, appearing irregular or variegated. For example, a dermoid cyst has heterogeneous attenuation on CT. It is the antonym for homogeneous, meaning a structure with similar components.
Can a mass on ovary be benign?
Ovarian tumors are abnormal growths on the ovaries, the female reproductive organs that produce eggs. Ovarian tumors can be noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Many things can make you more likely to develop an ovarian tumor.
What is the difference between ovarian mass and cyst?
Do all ovarian masses need to be removed?
Large or persistent ovarian cysts, or cysts that are causing symptoms, usually need to be surgically removed. Surgery is also normally recommended if there are concerns that the cyst could be cancerous or could become cancerous.
What is a heterogeneous mass in the uterus?
Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths of the uterus that often appear during childbearing years. Also called leiomyomas (lie-o-my-O-muhs) or myomas, uterine fibroids aren’t associated with an increased risk of uterine cancer and almost never develop into cancer.
What tests evaluate an ovarian mass for cancer?
Laboratory Studies. Possible lab tests in the evaluation of adnexal mass include serum markers, Papanicolaou test, CBC count, urinalysis (U/A), stool for blood, and electrolytes. CA-125 is elevated in approximately 80% of all women with ovarian cancer.
Is heterogenous mass cancerous?
5% chance of malignancy, thus a heterogenous could be cancerous. Looking at it the other way, a heterogenous nodule has a 95% chance of not being cancerous.
What is a hypoechoic lesion in the ovary?
An ovarian mass which appears hypoechoic on ultrasound could be a tumor known as a fibroma. This is a benign, solid growth which can grow quite large, sometimes becoming bigger than a grapefruit. An ovarian fibroma is usually removed surgically and the ovary may be preserved if possible.
Are ovarian cysts common after menopause?
But, ovarian cysts in post-menopausal women are now known to be very common after menopause. Women with ovarian cysts are at higher risk for ovarian cancer and other complications. Since age is a risk factor for ovarian cancer, any cysts in a postmenopausal woman should be taken seriously.