HOw common is it for a post menopausal woman to have a hemorragic ovarian cyst? Does it cause severe low back/hip pain?

Hi, comfrey,

Here's what I found from OvaryResearch.com:

The ovary no longer produces eggs after menopause, but benign ovarian cysts can still occur after menopause. In fact, after menopause the most likely types of ovarian cysts are still benign cysts. However, because the incidence of ovarian cancer increases with age, any cyst or growth in the ovary after the menopause should be evaluated right away with a sonogram. Once again, the sonogram can be helpful in predicting whether the cyst is benign, or if it is suspicious for cancer. In addition, if you have a cyst after menopause, the blood test CA-125 should be done. As previously noted, the test is inaccurate in pre-menopausal women, but it is more accurate in postmenopausal women. If the sonogram shows a benign pattern and the CA-125 test is normal, then the ovarian cyst is probably benign.

A very interesting recent study found benign ovarian cysts to be much more common in post-menopausal women than anyone had realized. Ultrasounds were performed on 7,700 healthy post-menopausal women as part of a study designed to find early ovarian cancers. Small ovarian cysts, 2-inches or less, were unexpectedly found in 450 of these women. Because these cysts were benign-appearing on ultrasound, and CA-125 tests were normal, the women had the ultrasound repeated in two months. Surprisingly, half of the cysts had already disappeared by that time.

Half of the women with persistent cysts chose surgery and NONE of them had cancer found at the time of surgery. Also, NONE of the women who had repeated ultrasounds and were followed over the next few years were found to have ovarian cancer. Women and doctors still have varying degrees of comfort about not removing an ovarian cyst. But, based on this study and others, a discussion about options should take place. Some women may choose surgery and others may choose careful follow-up. At this point, both options are reasonable.

Here's the link to the full article:

http://www.ovaryresearch.com/ovarian_cysts.htm

But let's talk about your pain. Did the ER not give you anything to take for it? Can you call your regular doctor, explain what happened and see if she/he will call in a prescription for pain medicine for you?