Abstract
The present study describes 29 women coincidentally found to have ovarian cysts while
participating in a cross-sectional study. The prevalence of functional ovarian cysts
is determined. In this study, 428 women, aged 14–45 years, were examined by transvaginal
ultrasonography. The women were gynecologically healthy and were using either no contraception,
intrauterine contraceptive devices, none of which were hormone releasing, or oral
contraception (OC). Cysts were defined as cystic spaces larger than 30 mm. All women
were asymptomatic and regularly menstruating.
The prevalence of ovarian cysts was lower for women using OC than for women using
no contraception or using intrauterine contraceptive devices. The relative risk (measured
as the prevalence proportion ratio) of having an ovarian cyst when using OC was 0.22
(CI: 0.13–0.39), compared to women not using OC. No difference was found in the prevalence
of ovarian cysts between women using intrauterine contraceptive devices and women
using no contraception. The prevalence of ovarian cyst increased throughout the menstrual
cycle in women not using OC. This relation was not found in the group of users of
OC. The majority of the cysts resolved within the first few days of menstruation.
Sixty-five percent of the cysts persisting after menstruation had resolved at the
first control examination 3 months later, independently of use of OC. Low-dose monophasic
contraceptive pills seem to have a protective effect against development of functional
ovarian cysts, independent of the type of gestagen and the dose of ethinylestradiol
used. Ovarian cysts resolved independently of treatment with OC. The use of intrauterine
contraceptive device had no influence on the occurrence of functional ovarian cysts.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
May 29,
2002
Received in revised form:
April 25,
2002
Received:
January 24,
2002
Identification
Copyright
© 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
