A diagnosis of ovarian cysts may be overlooked or delayed because symptoms vary between individual women and the different types of ovarian cysts. Some women experience no symptoms at all. Mild symptoms, such as a dull ache in the lower abdomen or abdominal discomfort, may not be addressed because they might be associated with other conditions, such as gas or menstrual cramps.
Other symptoms, such as painful intercourse and irregular menstrual periods may be mistaken for symptoms of such conditions as perimenopause, endometriosis, and sexually transmitted diseases.
Because of the similarity of the symptoms of ovarian cysts to symptoms of these and other diseases and disorders, it is vital that people with symptoms seek prompt medical care....more about Ovarian cysts »
Ovarian cysts misdiagnosis: Diagnosis of ovarian cysts must be differentiated from polycystic ovarian disease....more about Ovarian cysts »
For a diagnosis of Ovarian cysts, the following list of conditions have been mentioned in sources as possible alternative diagnoses to consider during the diagnostic process for Ovarian cysts:
The other diseases for which Ovarian cysts is listed as a possible alternative diagnosis in their lists include:
Causes of Ovarian cysts may include these medical conditions:
Related medical mistakes may include:
Commonly undiagnosed conditions in related areas may include:
Unnecessary hysterectomies due to undiagnosed bleeding disorder in women: The bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand's disease is quite common in women, but often fails to be correctly diagnosed. Women with the condition tend to have heavy periods, since they actually have a bleeding disorder. Severe afflictions may result in the women receiving a hysterectomy unnecessarily, when the underlying cause has not been identified. See the introduction to Von Willebrand's disease and bleeding disorder.
Rare type of breast cancer without a lump: There is a less common form of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer. Its symptoms can be an inflammation of the breast tissue, such as with a breast rash with redness and warmth, but not necessarily a physical breast lump. This type of breast cancer should be considered as an uncommon possibility for certain types of breast symptoms.
Misdiagnosed weight-related causes of infertility: A woman's weight status can affect her level of fertility. Although obesity or overweight can in themselves reduce fertility, there are other weight-related or associated medical conditions that further reduce fertility. Some of these hidden causes include COPD, diabetes, thyroid disorders (overactive thyroid or underactive thyroid) and metabolic syndrome. See also other causes of infertility.
Rare types of medical disorders and diseases in related medical areas:
The following medical news items are relevant to misdiagnosis of Ovarian cysts:
Read these general articles with an overview of misdiagnosis issues.
When checking for a misdiagnosis of Ovarian cysts or confirming a diagnosis of Ovarian cysts, it is useful to consider what other medical conditions might be possible misdiagnoses or other alternative conditions relevant to diagnosis. These alternate diagnoses of Ovarian cysts may already have been considered by your doctor or may need to be considered as possible alternative diagnoses or candidates for misdiagnosis of Ovarian cysts. For a general overview of misdiagnosis issues for all diseases, see Overview of Misdiagnosis.
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