PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF OVARIAN CYSTS WITH ORAL-CONTRACEPTIVES - A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED STUDY

To determine if treatment with low-dose combination oral contraceptive s hastened resolution of ovarian cysts or prevented their occurrence, we conducted a prospective randomized study of 45 women with ovarian c ysts and 50 women without ovarian cysts and divided the patients into four groups. Group A patients (n = 25) had no cysts and received oral contraceptives, group B patients (n = 25) had no cysts and were expect antly managed, group C patients (n = 25) had cysts and received oral c ontraceptives, and group D patients (n = 20) had cysts and were observ ed. All patients were followed with transvaginal ultrasound examinatio ns every 4 weeks for three cycles, with cyst dimensions and ovarian vo lumes recorded. There were no statistically significant changes in the size of the cysts or ovarian volumes between groups who received oral contraceptives and groups who received expectant management (p > 0.05 ) Prophylactic treatment with the oral contraceptive did produce a sta tistically significant reduction in the incidence of ovarian cyst form ation. Cyclic low-dose oral contraceptives had no effect on resolution of ovarian cysts but did seem to protect against cyst formation in sh ort-term use.