Italian Woman Assumes She Was Just Obese, Turns Out Having Ovarian Cyst As Large as a Medicine Ball

In Italy, a 52-year-old woman mistakenly thought for a long time that she was just obese. After examining her medical condition, doctors discovered she was carrying a large ovarian cyst.

The Case Report of Undetected Cyst

For many years, the woman thought she was just obese, so she did not realize she needed medical assistance. The doctors blamed it on her poverty and her lack of education.

She complains of experiencing early satiety or the tendency to become full after eating very little food. Aside from it, she also suffers from reflux, where the stomach acid or bile goes up through the esophagus. Some other discomforts reported by the woman include constipation, difficulty walking, and breathing struggles. Finally, her abdomen became extremely swollen, so she decided to be taken to the hospital.

Imaging tests showed the presence of lesions that entirely occupied her abdominal cavity. Despite having a massive cyst, the woman still has normal menstrual cycles without hormonal effects. After analyzing the result of her ultrasound report, the doctors reveal that the woman is carrying a cyst weighing 11 pounds. The 40-centimeter mass the size of a medicine ball was formed in her right ovary.

The surgical removing the mass was considered risky, but the doctors explained that operation is mandatory in cases like this. Before performing a hysterectomy or the removal of the uterus, the doctors drain the cyst of 37 liters of dense brown liquid, then remove her ovaries. A total of six liters of blood was also lost during the procedure took six and a half hours.

Since the cyst had spread across her midsection, her abdominal wall needed to be reconstructed by a plastic surgeon. Before the operation, the woman weighed 123 kilograms and had a body mass index (BMI) of 50.5 which falls under the morbidly obese category. After the procedure, her BMI dropped to 28.3. She remained in the hospital for a couple of months, half of which was in the ICU, where she had a cardiac arrest.

What is an Ovarian Cyst?

An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops on or inside a woman's ovary. This mass is usually harmless and remains unnoticed until an imaging scan detects them. According to National Health Service (NHS), most ovarian cysts occur naturally and disappear after a few months without medical treatment.

The warning signs usually appear only if the cyst splits, is very large, or hinders the blood supply to the ovaries. Some of these symptoms include pelvic pain, fullness in the belly, bloating, painful sex, and heavy periods. A cyst that bursts will lead to sharp back pain, spotting, vomiting, and fever.

Most ovarian cysts are benign or non-cancerous, although there are cases when they become malignant or cancerous. The cancerous cysts are more common in older women going through the menopausal stage.