Prolonged menstrual cramps - a warning sign of dangerous chocolate cysts

(Dan Tri) - Recently, Hong Ngoc General Hospital successfully performed surgery on a 36-year-old female patient with a large chocolate cyst, at risk of losing her ovary due to being subjective with the symptoms of prolonged menstrual cramps.

The obstetrician-gynecologist team performed surgery to remove the right ovarian tumor and remove pelvic adhesions.

Subjective with menstrual pain, women face the risk of losing their ovaries

Ms. D.TH (36 years old, Hanoi ) often felt pain, dullness, and discomfort in her lower abdomen, especially during her menstrual period. However, thinking it was due to her constitution, she subjectively did not go to the doctor early. Only when she had severe abdominal pain and felt a hard lump did she go to Hong Ngoc General Hospital for examination.

After examination and ultrasound, the doctor discovered that Ms. H had a 10x13cm tumor in her right ovary, suspected to have many blood clots inside, a typical sign of a chocolate cyst, which could affect her health and fertility.

Chocolate cysts are a type of endometriosis that forms when endometrial tissue grows in the wrong place, usually in the ovaries. During each menstrual cycle, this misplaced tissue bleeds but cannot escape, and over time it accumulates into a cyst containing dark brown fluid like chocolate.

According to MSc. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy - Deputy Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Hong Ngoc General Hospital, chocolate cysts often progress silently, and their symptoms are easily confused with common gynecological diseases such as lower abdominal pain, menorrhagia... If not detected and treated promptly, the patient is at risk of having to remove the ovaries, losing the ability to have children and facing many other dangerous complications.

Examination and ultrasound results showed a large cyst measuring up to 10x13cm.

Complex chocolate cyst surgery, adhesion treatment, ovarian preservation

Once the risk is determined, the patient is indicated for laparoscopic surgery to remove the ovarian tumor and remove pelvic adhesions to ensure future reproductive function.

“In fact, patients with chocolate cysts often have adnexitis due to prolonged inflammation that is not detected and treated promptly, which causes menstrual disorders and makes it difficult to conceive. In addition, delayed treatment also increases some risks during surgery," Dr. Thuy analyzed.

This was a complicated surgery because the tumor was large, the pelvic area was tightly stuck together, and separation was difficult. During the surgery, the team of doctors had to skillfully remove each layer, stop the bleeding accurately, and remove the entire tumor without damaging the surrounding organs. After only nearly 1 hour, the tumor was removed, with minimally invasive endoscopic techniques. After surgery, Ms. H had little pain, recovered quickly, and especially retained her reproductive function.

Actual image of the tumor filled with brown fluid.

"I never thought I would face the risk of infertility just from menstrual cramps. I am truly grateful to the doctors at Hong Ngoc General Hospital for discovering and intervening promptly, helping me preserve my ability to be a mother. In particular, about 24 hours after surgery, I was able to walk again, almost pain-free," Ms. H expressed.

According to Dr. Thuy, the worrying thing is that chocolate cysts cause many dangerous complications such as: chronic pelvic pain, ovarian torsion and rupture, even adhesion of the pelvic area and surrounding organs but there are no typical symptoms, leading to many people being subjective. Many patients only discover the disease when it is in the late stage, the tumor is necrotic, at this time the treatment process is prolonged, greatly affecting health and fertility.

“Not only chocolate cysts, many other dangerous gynecological diseases such as uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts or even gynecological cancers have few typical symptoms. Therefore, women should pay attention to gynecological examination at reputable facilities and highly specialized doctors to detect abnormalities and handle them promptly,” Dr. Thuy emphasized.

With over 20 years of experience in women’s health care, Hong Ngoc General Hospital is a trusted address for many women in Hanoi and the Northern region. Thanks to a team of leading doctors, modern equipment and advanced surgical techniques, the hospital has successfully treated many complicated cases such as large uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, ovarian teratoma, endometriosis, cervical cancer, etc., helping to preserve the reproductive health of thousands of patients.

In particular, Hong Ngoc is one of the few private hospitals in Vietnam to achieve ACHSI (Australia) international quality certification, ensuring safe treatment processes, strict infection control and comprehensive patient care. This is the foundation to help patients feel secure in their treatment, recover quickly and minimize the risk of post-operative complications.

Contact hotline 0886 621 046 - 0886 468 306 for advice.

Hong Ngoc General Hospital: 55 Yen Ninh, Truc Bach, Ba Dinh, Hanoi

Hong Ngoc Phuc Truong Minh General Hospital: No. 8 Chau Van Liem, Tu Liem, Hanoi

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/dau-bung-kinh-keo-dai-dau-hieu-canh-bao-u-nang-socola-nguy-hiem-20250626224114970.htm