The difference between polycystic ovary syndrome and polycystic ovaries is that the syndrome may include cysts as a symptom, but does not have to.

A woman is said to have PCOS, the syndrome, if she presents two out of three of the following symptoms:

1. Failure to ovulate.

2. Symptoms of excessive testosterone such as acne or hair growth.

3. Multiple cysts in the ovaries.

If a woman has ovarian cysts but still ovulates (for instance, if she has cysts in only one ovary), and she does not exhibit signs of excessive testosterone, such as acne or hair growth, then she does not have PCOS.

Women who have PCOS are at risk for a variety of serious complications. These include endometriosis or endometrial cancer as the lining of the uterus thickens without being shed during the menstrual period. Women who have PCOS are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. They are also risk for a condition known as acanthosis nigrans, a blotchy darkening of the skin. Women with PCOS who get pregnant are more likely to suffer miscarriage. And they tend to have issues with weight control.

Women who have cysts in their ovaries without the hormonal imbalances of PCOS are not at risk for all of these ailments. However, while PCOS can be improved by weight control and diet, ovarian cysts from other causes typically cannot.

Women who have ovarian cysts but not PCOS generally need to be careful to avoid steroid medications. In some women who have cysts, steroids result in stimulation of stress hormones, weight gain, and hair loss-some of the same symptoms of PCOS without the underlying hormonal imbalance. In women who have cysts but not PCOS, however, just stopping the medication is enough to reverse the symptoms. Women with PCOS would need much more extensive treatment. Never stop a medication without consulting your doctor first.

If there is any good news about polycystic ovaries with or without PCOS, it is that ovarian cysts are almost never a sign of future ovarian cancer. And modern genetic testing can give women a good assessment of their future risk of this dreaded disease.

Eventually, over a period of 13 menstrual cycles, the follicle matures and coats the egg with a protective mucus as it finally leaves the ovary during ovulation.

A cyst is simply any accumulation of fluid inside the ovary. Ovarian cysts are almost never a sign of ovarian cancer.

The most common kind of cyst in ovaries is the functional cyst. This kind of cyst is not caused by an imbalance in the hormones that cause polycystic ovarian disease (PCOS). PCOS is caused by too much luteinizing hormone keeping an egg that is ready for ovulation inside the ovary.

Functional cysts are caused by an excess of or excessive sensitivity to follicle stimulating hormone. This hormone tells the primordial follicle it is time to grow so it can deliver the egg. A functional cyst occurs the follicle keeps on growing unchecked. A functional cyst can grow to 3 or 4 inches (80 to 100 mm) in diameter, stretching the lining of the ovary so much it turns blue. Functional cysts usually drain themselves into the bloodstream in 3 or 4 weeks.

Another kind of cyst associated with the ovaries is a corpus luteum cyst. The corpus luteum is a structure released by the ovaries after ovulation to release progesterone to prepare the lining of the uterus for the possible arrival of a fertilized egg. Sometimes this structure expands to the size of a marble or even 3 to 4 inches around. Like a functional cyst, the kind of ovarian cyst also usually drains itself in 3 or 4 weeks.

Cysts can also results when the menstrus flows in reverse. Sometimes a tiny piece of the endometrial tissue that is discharged during a woman’s period gets lodged inside an ovary, and grows and shrinks with the menstrual cycle. This kind of ovarian cyst is known as a chocolate cyst.

Women who have these conditions, however, do not have polycystic ovaries. Functional cysts, corpus luteum cysts, and chocolate cysts are typically singular. Multiple cysts result from a hormonal imbalance that keeps the egg from being released. Not every woman who has polycystic ovaries, however, has polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). There can be multiple cysts without the acne, hair growth, and failure to ovulate that is characteristic of PCOS.

An ovarian cyst is a hormonal related disorder, caused by the overproduction of male hormones in the female body. Ovarian cyst may be single or multiple and it can occur in one or both ovaries. Most ovarian cysts are benign, but approximately 15 percent are cancerous. That is why examination is always necessary.

Types of Ovarian Cyst

There are five common types of ovarian cysts: functional cysts, endometrial cysts, cystadenomas, dermoid cysts and polycystic ovaries.

Functional cysts develop on follicle or corpus luteum as part of the natural function of the ovary. These cysts are not big and they usually dissolve after certain period of time.
Endometrial cysts, also known as “chocolate cysts”, because they’re filled with dark blood, form as a result of endometriosis. They continue to grow and could become as large as grapefruit. These cysts could cause an infertility.
Ovarian cystadenomas are new and abnormal formations that develop from the ovarian tissue. They could be filled with watery fluid or thick gelatinous material, growing up to 12 inches.
Dermoid cysts are also neoplasms similar to cystadenomas, with one difference. They consist of skin or related tissue such as hair, teeth or bone instead of fluid like the cystadenomas. Dermoid cysts grow between 2 and 4 inches.
Polycystic ovaries is a condition in which the follicles never erupt from the ovaries. This condition is also known as polycystic ovarian syndrome or disease (PCOS), and it’s directly linked with difficulty in conceiving.

How to Recognize Symptoms of Ovarian Cysts

Cysts may grow quietly and go unnoticed until they are found on routine examination. However, if they are ruptured or become large enough, the following symptoms may occur:

• Intense abdominal pain (symptom in all types of cysts)
• Late, bleeding between or irregular periods (symptom occurring in corpus luteum cysts and polycystic ovaries)
• Heavy menstrual flow (symptom occurring in polycystic ovaries)
• Infertility (symptom occurring in polycystic ovaries and endometrial cysts)
• Internal bleeding (symptom occurring in endometrial cysts)
• Severe menstrual cramps (symptom occurring in endometrial cysts)
• Pain with sexual intercourse (symptom occurring in endometrial cysts)
• Pain during a bowel movement (symptom occurring in endometrial cysts)
• Weight gain (symptom occurring in polycystic ovaries and endometrial cysts)

If any of symptoms is present you should visit your doctor for further tests and treatment immediately.

Treatment of Ovarian Cysts

Treatment of ovarian cysts depends on many factors, including the type of cyst, its size, location, the type of material it contains and the woman’s age.

Functional cysts usually require a “watch and wait” approach. These cysts tend to dissolve over time and treatment is not needed. The doctor may require pelvic exam and/or ultrasound after two menstrual cycles. If the cyst is still present and keeps growing (over 2 inches) the doctor may recommend a laparoscopy to remove the cyst. If functional cyst comes and goes, birth control pills may be prescribed, because they reduce the hormones that promote cysts’ growth and they also prevent formation of large cysts.

Endometrial cysts, cystadenomas and dermoid cysts should be removed surgically. If the cyst is small enough it could be removed via laparoscopy. But if the cyst is over 2 ½ inches in diameter, treatment varies from cysterectomy (removal of cyst only) to total abdominal hysterectomy, usually when cyst is cancerous.

Treatment for polycystic ovaries varies. The major symptom of polycystic ovaries is infertility, and whether the woman is trying to conceive or not determines the treatment for PCOS.
If the woman is trying to conceive, the doctor will prescribe Clomid which stimulates ovulation. If the woman is not trying to conceive, but has infrequent or no periods, the doctor will prescribe Provera, that restores normal menstrual flows.

The best advice for you is to visit your doctor regularly for routine examination, especially if you have one of the symptoms mentioned above. Ovarian cyst is not major reason for infertility, but if you’re trying to get pregnant having a cyst, you should determine the type and treatment that will help you conceiving.