Patient's question:
My friend's mother has also gone through menopause. Recently, she has noticed that her breasts have shrunk and are very painful to touch. A thorough examination at the hospital revealed a left ovarian follicular cyst, endometrial hyperplasia, and elevated estradiol levels in her blood.The help she hopes to receive: What are the causes of follicular cysts?
Doctor's answer:
Etiology of Follicular Cyst Formation Follicular cysts are formed due to the degeneration of follicular epithelium, fibrosis and thickening of the connective tissue in the follicular wall, death of oocytes, and undigested or continuously increasing follicular fluid. The criteria for fetal, neonatal cystic follicles and follicular cysts are as follows: the former is classified as a follicular diameter of 0.5 to 1 cm, and the latter is greater than 1 cm.1. Failure to ovulate from a mature follicle while it continues to grow or incomplete atresia of a self-locked follicle, with granulosa cells still secreting fluid to form a cyst.
2. Due to various conditions leading to an engorged state of the ovary, such as chronic pelvic inflammation or ovarian torsion, which induces impaired blood supply to the ovary, causing the tunica albuginea to thicken. As a result, mature follicles cannot rupture and menstruate, and the fluid secreted within the follicle accumulates to form a cyst.