Ultrasound results, pelvic pain Pls Help!?!
Question: Ultrasound results, pelvic pain Pls Help!.?
I had an Ultrasound and do not understand all results and wonder if I should worry. I had the U/S because a ct scan showed what they thought was a cyst. The results: The right ovary measures 3.1 cm maximally and the left 2.7 cm. On the right there is a tiny echogenic focus which could relate to the calcification noted on the recent ct study but there is no mass.
What is the echogenic focus and should I worry.? The Doctor(gp) said if I was still having pain and stilled worried about it I could have another u/s in 6 months. also I have heard there is a blood test that could rule out anything serious called ca-125 should I ask for one or am I making a Mountain out of a mole hill.? I am 31yrs old and relatively healthy. I just need to know how serious (or not) to take this.Health Question & Answer
What is the echogenic focus and should I worry.? The Doctor(gp) said if I was still having pain and stilled worried about it I could have another u/s in 6 months. also I have heard there is a blood test that could rule out anything serious called ca-125 should I ask for one or am I making a Mountain out of a mole hill.? I am 31yrs old and relatively healthy. I just need to know how serious (or not) to take this.Health Question & Answer
Answers:
The normal adult ovary is 3-5 cm in length, and 1.5-3cm in width (reference 1). Your left & right ovary sizes are normal. A cyst would make your ovaries about 2X their normal size. The reason they suspect a cyst is because they are very common in your age group. They are quite benign (95% of the time), but can cause a great deal of pain.
The CA-125 is an antigen (tumor marker) you find in the blood of ovarian cancer, and other various cancers (gastrointestinal, breast, lung, fallopian tubes) (reference 2). But, it is not very specific or sensitive. So, they usually use it to test for the recurrence of a cancer rather than finding the first onset. The ultrasound you had is actually a better test because they are actually looking for a growth. No growth was found, so we can rule-out any ovarian cancers. If you have a history of cancers in your family, it might be worth looking into further testing, though, because CA-125 would test for cancers elsewhere in the body.
The tiny echogenic focus of calcification is an interesting anomaly. Even if it's present on the heart, it usually causes no serious problems (reference 3). It makes sense that it could be causing you pain. Your doctor has probably prescribed or recommended you NSAIDs (ibuprofen) for the pain.
For now, I would say there isn't much else the doctor can do. In six months, if you continue to have the problem, it's worth getting another ultrasound to check for possible growths again. If you continue to have pain, hormone testing could also be another possible next step (e.g. PTH, which regulates calcium, along with FSH, LH, TSH, PL).
I hope things get better!Health Question & Answer
The CA-125 is an antigen (tumor marker) you find in the blood of ovarian cancer, and other various cancers (gastrointestinal, breast, lung, fallopian tubes) (reference 2). But, it is not very specific or sensitive. So, they usually use it to test for the recurrence of a cancer rather than finding the first onset. The ultrasound you had is actually a better test because they are actually looking for a growth. No growth was found, so we can rule-out any ovarian cancers. If you have a history of cancers in your family, it might be worth looking into further testing, though, because CA-125 would test for cancers elsewhere in the body.
The tiny echogenic focus of calcification is an interesting anomaly. Even if it's present on the heart, it usually causes no serious problems (reference 3). It makes sense that it could be causing you pain. Your doctor has probably prescribed or recommended you NSAIDs (ibuprofen) for the pain.
For now, I would say there isn't much else the doctor can do. In six months, if you continue to have the problem, it's worth getting another ultrasound to check for possible growths again. If you continue to have pain, hormone testing could also be another possible next step (e.g. PTH, which regulates calcium, along with FSH, LH, TSH, PL).
I hope things get better!Health Question & Answer