Dermoid cysts

Does anyone have these? My doctor told me I have one on each ovary. These growths are germ cells (eggs) that have started to develop without being fertilized. They contain fat, cartilage, hair, and possibly teeth. I am freaking out about this! My surgery is not scheduled yet they have to do an uterine endometrial sampling and pap smear first.

Hy SysticSis Welcome to Hystersisters!

I do not have any personal experience/knowledge regarding dermoid cysts, but I did a search and found several threads posted in the past. Here is one of them: (Click below)

http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/sho...=dermoid+cysts

If you'd like to read more about what others have posted here re: their experience with dermoid cysts....go to the top of the page and click "search", type in "dermoid cysts", then click on the "perform search" button and you will find several other discussions.

My reply will bump your post back up to the top of this forum, hopefully you'll hear from some more women with dermoid cyst experience.

Best wishes to you!

Thanks Shelley for the info.
I feel sick about this. My doctor even had an expression on her face like "ewww" when we discussed the components of these things. I looked at pictures on line and feel even more disgust for myself. I feel like a freak, abnormal, for having these gross things inside me.
cause thats the way I feel , allow me to scream: AAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH

SysticSis....please dont feel disgust with yourself----this is no fault of your own and you are not a "freak". I just want you to know that!!!! The body is an amazing thing and all sorts of things can happen. I had a very good friend when I was in college and she also had these! She did have surgery for them and has done very well ever since (this was in 1991)....

I am sending you much love, hugs and friendship!

Don't freak out!! I had one on my right ovary. I called it my little "alien". It is has been vacated from my body!

Hi SysticSis! There are a number of us "dermies" here. My doctor made a yucky face, too, when she described my last cyst after surgery. ew.

But it is good news because something like 99% of all dermoids are perfectly benign. That's a beautiful word, benign.

I had my second dermoid removed at a teaching hospital in 1983, and the Drs. there were all excited because it had teeth in it. I bet that thing made the rounds after it came out! ew again.

Did your Dr. say the ovaries would likely have to come out, too? If the cysts aren't too large they can sometimes save the ovary.

Hang in there, dear, and feel free to PM me if you have questions.

I had a large dermoid removed about 10 years ago...and my doctor at the time actually asked me if I wanted to see it! My sister still refers to it as my PacMan.

I've got another cyst that is probably another dermoid and will be having either a TAH or TVH (am meeting next week to plan).

Good luck!

Lisa

Thanks, ladies for the support. As I am an RN, I should be handling this better, as I have seen all kinds of gross things in the hospital. I am going to ask to see them.....
The MRI reports do show "calcifications". I have to know what those little critters look like. I keep thinking that they are babies that were waiting to be born....
I am having everything taken out, as with PCOS I have a heightened risk for Cancer. Plus, my uterus endometrium is "abnormally thickened", and I have really heavy periods with huge clots-ewww again. I am not married and am finished childbearing. I have two wonderful sons aged 18 and 20. Thanks again.

"Calcifications"! I bet they do have teeth. Cool medical oddity.

Don't even think about these tumors and babies in the same breath. They are reproductive cells gone awry. They have odd bits like skin, hair, fat cells and maybe teeth--but ALL the rest of the "people" parts are missing.

Besides, I'm quite sure that the divine knows much better than to send a soul down to a simple mess of tissue like that. Where would it go?

It sounds like you are prepared to have TAH-BSO. My thoughts and prayers will be with you, SysticSis.
Anna

I just found this website today for the purpose of looking up dermoid cysts. I saw your post on how gross it was and noticed that today was your scheduled surgery date. I hope it went well. I have had 5 dermoids and currently have 2 more. I have had 3 surgeries and will need another when these 2 dermoids grow to an "appropriate operatable size". My first surgery was at the end of my freshman year in college (1986). I found out I had it by going to my campus gyno for a first time ever visit only for her to say, "Oh, my God, you have something in there that shouldn't be in there". That was good to hear, anyway, thankfully I found an amazing Dr. in Boston. The second surgery was in (1991), and the 3rd in (2001). The 3rd I was able to have a laproscope. Yes, dermoids do sound gross. They are pretty rare. If you get one the odds are getting another aren't very big. My doctor, who is above retirement age now, has never seen anyone with more than 5. So yes, I am the winner in that practice! I have been blessed with 2 children too.

I have my annual appt the end of this month and need to ask him some serious questions like should I have him remove the left ovary which seems to be the one they grow on the most? Sometimes I just would like to have everything out and not have to worry about cramping, 2 week long periods, heavy bleeding and clots. I am learning though that that opens a whole'nother can of worms.

Good luck with you, hope you have a speedy recovery,