What are Follicular Cysts?
These are the most common of the benign functional cysts (functional meaning in response to a normal menstrual cycle). Each time an egg is produced by the ovary a small cyst forms. The cyst is usually very small and ruptures when releasing the egg during ovulation. If the cysts don’t rupture they may continue to grow; however, as they rarely grow larger than 8 centimeters and normally shrink after ovulation, surgery is usually not required. If rupture occurs, pelvic pain may result and last 24-48 hours. The pain is due to a small amount of bleeding which is irritating to the abdominal cavity. Surgery may be indicated in cases when bleeding continues or is excessive.
