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They may contain fluid or semisolid material. Although cysts can appear anywhere in the body, most frequently they live in the skin, ovaries, breasts or kidneys. Most cysts are not cancerous. Knees — A Baker's cyst is a pouch of joint fluid that collects behind the bend of the knee. Because of its location, this cyst may cause the knee joint to feel swollen or tight. In most people, Baker's cysts are linked to arthritis or knee injury. Ovaries — An ovarian follicle that doesn't release its egg may form a cyst on the ovary.

These cysts are not harmful and usually disappear after two to three months. Breasts — Breast lumps may be either cystic or solid. Breast cysts are almost always benign non-cancerous. Vagina — Bartholin's gland cysts may develop in one of the Bartholin's glands, which lie just inside the vaginal canal and produce a protective, lubricating fluid. The buildup of secretions or infections inside one of the Bartholin's glands can cause the gland to swell and form a cyst.

Cervix — Nabothian cysts develop when one of the mucous glands of the cervix becomes obstructed. Kidneys — Solitary cysts also known as simple cysts are the most common type. They appear as fluid-filled pouches and usually do not cause any symptoms.

Some people inherit the tendency to develop many kidney cysts, a condition called polycystic kidney disease, which often causes high blood pressure and can lead to kidney failure. Cysts can cause a wide range of symptoms, depending on the type of cyst and its location. The painful sebaceous cyst oozes and weeps constantly. Unfortunately, many people wait until this point before they see their doctor, but the cyst could have been more easily treated before it ruptured.

In most cases, it needs to be drained by a doctor who can lance the cyst. Some physicians prescribe antibiotics to settle the red, painful area of inflammation. However, these medications are not effective. The body is reacting to dead skin cells trapped under the skin, not bacteria.

Once a sebaceous cyst ruptures, it needs to be lanced, not treated with medication. A cyst will not heal until it is lanced and drained or surgically excised. Without treatment, cysts will eventually rupture and partially drain. It may take months or years for these to progress. Once they rupture, the painful sebaceous cyst will likely return if the pocket lining is not removed entirely. To prevent recurrence and ongoing problems, it is best to have sebaceous cysts treated to remove the problem.

A cyst feels like a little knot or kernel underneath the skin. It may begin as an ingrown hair or acne pore that becomes infected, creating an opportunity for the skin to get turned in on itself. The cyst may also drain a bit.

A Pilar cyst grows on the scalp and tends to be hereditary, while epidermoid cysts occur on other parts of the body and will not go away on their own. This is a disease where the ovaries make many small cysts. It can cause problems with the ovaries and with getting pregnant. Who gets ovarian cysts? How is an ovarian cyst diagnosed?

Your doctor could also order other tests. These could include: A pregnancy test to rule out pregnancy as the cause of the cyst. Hormone level tests to see if you have problems with your hormones. A CA blood test to measure the amount of cancer-antigen in your blood. If you are past menopause, your doctor may order this test to see if your cyst could be cancerous. Can an ovarian cyst be prevented or avoided? Ovarian cyst treatment The treatment for ovarian cysts depends on several things.

Surgery is an option for some people. There are 2 main ways surgery can be done on an ovarian cyst: If your cyst is small about the size of a plum or smaller and if it looks benign on the sonogram, your doctor may decide to do a laparoscopy. It is put into your abdomen through a small incision cut near your navel belly button. With the laparoscope, your doctor can see your organs. Often the cyst can be removed through small incisions at the pubic hair line. If the cyst looks too big to remove with a laparoscope or if it looks suspicious in any way, your doctor will probably do a laparotomy.

This surgery uses a bigger cut to remove the cyst. The cyst is then tested for cancer. If it is cancerous, you may need to have the ovary and other tissues removed. This could include the fallopian tubes, the other ovary, or the uterus. Living with an ovarian cyst If you have an ovarian cyst, you can usually just wait for it to go away on its own in a few months. Sudden, severe abdominal pain Abdominal pain with fever and vomiting Faintness, dizziness, or weakness Rapid breathing. Questions to ask your doctor Do I need a sonogram?

What kind of cyst do I have? How will I know if my functional cyst is getting worse? If I have another type of cyst, what are my treatment options? Will I need surgery? Am I at risk of having another ovarian cyst in the future? Can having ovarian cysts make it harder to get pregnant?

Resources U. Last Updated: August 11, This article was contributed by: familydoctor. Tags: abdominal , cancer , cyst , Functional , ovaries , ovary , pain. Related Articles. Visit our interactive symptom checker Visit our interactive symptom checker Get Started.