Mass found.....

Hi Ladies…….

About 15 months ago I had a LSH and kept my ovaries (I am 42). Shortly after that I started having some very bad pains in my rectum, kinda like a pinching pulling pain and it was only occasionally, (I thought i was just healing inside still), then I started getting stomach pains and cramps off and on. I went for my yearly check up and I told my gyno about this, she referred me to a gastro Dr. He did a cat scan and has scheduled me also for a colonoscopy (yuck).

I had the CAT scan done last week and it showed a 6.5 cm soft tissue mass between my rectum and bladder. They could not tell what kind of mass this is but think it is ovary related. I am scheduled for a transvaginal ultrasound later this week.

Does anyone know if a cat scan would be able to tell the difference between a soft tissue mass and a cyst? I feel this is a dumb question but is there even a difference between a soft tissue mass and a ovarian cyst? And, has anyone had a mass found and then it turned out to be just a cyst? Or anyone have one in this area? I really don’t know much about ovarian cysts and I am scared I may possibly be facing another surgery.
Thanks in advance.
Debby

I had a ct scan which showed a 6.5 cm mass (near right ovary) and next had a transvaginal sonogram and it turned out to be a Endometriomas cyst. I am currently trying lupron to try to shrink it before having more surgery.

I am so glad I found you two. I had a TAH on Jan. 18 and they ended up taking 1 ovary. I still have my right one. I seemed to be healing very slowly, so did a CT scan where they found a 5.4 cm collection of fluid. My doctor said that a CT scan cannot take the type of picture needed to determine the makeup of a collection of fluid...so we scheduled an ultra sound. He said the ultra sound will tell if it is completely fluid filled or more like "swiss cheese" inside. Just did that this morning, and what I have is an ovarian cyst. It is like a blister on the ovary. The difference in my case when compared to yours is that they never called it a mass, he called it a collection of fluid. The good news is that it has shrunk down to 3.0 cm. My doctor was not able to talk to me this morning, so I am expecting a phone call from him any minute. From what I've read and been told, there is a good chance that this will just dissolve (step 1) and I will not need to drain it (step 2), or have surgery (step 3.)

I don't know if any of this helps, but I do know they always want to try other things BEFORE surgery.

Keep in touch!

Thank you both for your replies. It has really put my mind more at ease. I was concerned I would have to have surgery again but now I see there are other options that I may be able to try first.

Mal, they were able to determine that your cyst was endometrial thru a transvaginal ultrasound? You did not have to have a biopsy done?

I wish you both good luck and hope that neither of you have to face another surgery. Please post back on how this all turns out for you, and on what you’re Dr says Snajschro.

Thanks,
Debby.

Honey Bee - My doctor actually performs the ultrasound himself (and no biopsy was done) and I don't know if it's his experience or that I have had many of these cysts over the years but that is what he diagnosed.

The CT scan actually came up with several options as to what the 'mass' could be, including 'a maligancy cannot be ruled out', which was very scary to see on an ultrasound report. My doctor never thought it was cancerous but did a CA-125 to check, which I know is not a sure thing but it was very low (9) and I guess that was to reassure me.

Anyway I go tomorrow morning for another ultrasound to see if this has shrunk with the Lupron. Last time I had one of these cysts it did not go away and I had to have surgery, and it turned out the cyst was stuck to my fallopian tube with scar tissue and adhesions and never would have shrunk. I was able to keep my ovary, but now I'm wondering if I should just have it out and be done with it!

Let us know how your situation turns out.

You are all scaring me now. I am scheduled May 2nd for a hysterectomy and am so far unable to decide if I want to have my ovaries removed. My doctor and my second opinion have both recommended me having them removed because I suffer from headache that are related to my cycle. I am only 41 and scared to go that route....Now, with your posts I am scared of leaving my ovaries in! Kelly

I was the same age when I had my hyster and I also struggled with that because I had endo. I have to say, even with these recent problems, I am glad I kept them. I kept my cervix as well, even though I had past cervical cancer (diagnosed when I was 19). I had a cone biopsy (where they cut out the diseased part). I always had normal paps after that. For me, with a family history of osteoperosis (sp?) I thought it was important for later in life and I had no desire to go through early menopause.

Mal,

Have you ever had migraine headaches? Kelly

I had two ovarian masses-- they called them "complex ovarian masses".
transvaginal ultrasound is supposed to be pretty decent in terms of evaluating whether a mass is a fluid-filled simple cyst, or in my case, a little denser, with some swiss-cheese type elements (ew sounds yuck sorry). at the time, i was told if it was simply filled with fluid, it would be evident...
in my case, it was not simple fluid, it was "complex" so i was sent to the ct scan and it also confirmed complex masses.
then i had a ca-125 with a result = 420.
at this point i completed freaked, it didn't look good.
but in surgery, turns out no cancer-- just those stubborn endometriomas so many of us seem to have-- another name for it is "chocolate cyst".
good luck and try not to worry-- it's probably a stubborn endometrioma lurking around.
and inspite of all that, if i had the chance to keep my ovaries, I definitely would have! surgical menopause at 37 is no fun at all.

Kelly - I haven't had migranes at all. More like slight headaches at the base of my skull. Not really too bad. Did you ask because of the Lupron? I have heard that many people get them. I got the 3 month shot (11.25 mg) about 3 weeks ago and haven't really had any menopause symptoms yet. Maybe one hot flash - but from a lifetime of always being cold - I figure I can handle that! I still have pain from what I am assuming is the cyst (and probably adhesions and scar tissue) so I am at a crossroads as to what to do.