Question

Jennifer is a 21 year old college student, Mary is a 56 year old accountant. Both women present to their gynecologist with pelvic pain, an ultrasound reveals a 7cm cyst on the left ovary of both women, which of the following statements is CORRECT?

1) Jennifer most likely has a malignancy, while Mary's cyst is benign
2) Jennifer's cyst is most likely derived for surface epithelium, Mary's cyst is most likely from germ cells
3) Both woman have polycystic ovarian disease
4) Mary's cyst is more likely to be malignant than Jennifer's

Answer 1

Mary's cyst is more likely to be malignant than Jennifer's, as ovarian cysts in postmenopausal women like Mary are more likely to be evaluated for malignancy compared to those in younger women such as Jennifer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that is correct regarding the ovarian cysts in both Jennifer, the 21-year-old college student, and Mary, the 56-year-old accountant, is that Mary's cyst is more likely to be malignant than Jennifer's. Generally, ovarian cysts in younger women like Jennifer are more often benign and often derive from the surface epithelium. Cysts that occur around the time of menstruation and are part of the normal reproductive process are often functional cysts. On the other hand, postmenopausal women like Mary have a higher risk for ovarian cancer, and cysts present at this stage are more likely to be evaluated for malignancy. The option stating that both women have polycystic ovarian disease or PCOS is incorrect, as PCOS is characterized by multiple ovarian cysts and other symptoms such as irregular periods, androgen excess, and sometimes obesity, acne, or excess facial hair. To differentiate the cysts, further evaluation including clinical correlation and potentially surgical intervention might be required depending on the clinical scenario and presence of symptoms.