Causes of Ovarian cyst

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There are several types of ovarian cyst. The most common cyst is a functional ovarian cyst, and there are two types:

The most common is called a follicular cyst. This can develop if a follicle doesnâ€™t release an egg, or if the follicle doesnâ€™t shed its fluid after the egg is released. Instead, the follicle continues to fill with fluid and turns into a cyst. Follicular cysts can grow up to five or six centimetres wide. Usually only one cyst appears at a time, and it normally goes away without treatment after a few weeks.
Corpus luteum cysts are less common. They develop when the tissue that is left behind after an egg has been released (the corpus luteum), fills with fluid or blood. (A blood filled cyst is sometimes called a haemorrhagic cyst.) Corpus luteum cysts can grow up to 6 cm across. They usually go away on their own within a few months, but can sometimes rupture (split) causing internal bleeding and sudden pain.

Occasionally a dermoid cyst or a may develop (sometimes called a benign mature cystic teratoma). This type of cyst can contain a range of tissues, such as hair, skin or teeth, because it forms from cells that make eggs in the ovaries. Dermoid cysts are more common in younger women and need to be surgically removed.

A cystadenoma is a cyst that develops from the cells that cover the outer part of the ovary. There are different types â€“ some are filled with a watery liquid, and others with a thicker, mucous substance. Cystadenomas are often attached to an ovary by a stalk rather than growing inside the ovary itself, which means they can grow very large. Theyâ€™re not normally cancerous, but need to be surgically removed.

If you have endometriosis you may develop ovarian cysts. Endometriosis is when the tissue that lines the uterus (womb) appears in other parts of the body. Sometimes blood-filled cysts can form in this tissue. See the separate topic on endometriosis for more information.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a condition that causes you to develop lots of small, benign (non-cancerous) cysts on your ovaries. The cysts develop if there is a problem with the balance of hormones produced by the ovaries. For more information, see the separate topic on polycystic ovarian syndrome.