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Navigate: FAQ Home Page > General Health Questions > Cyst and spotting
Posted on: 01/12/2011
Question
My 17-year-old sister has an eight centimeter cyst that is full of blood on her ovary. She revealed to me something personal today and said that she has had little blood spots in her discharge when she urinates the past few days. She is surely not pregnant (I would kill her) but this is not something that is normal for her during ovulation. But could it still just be because she?s ovulating?
Answer
She could have spotting in between menses occasionally either from an anovulatory cycle or during luteal phase (latter half) of her cycle. If this continues for more than a couple of months, she should make an appointment with her physician to make sure everything is okay.
Occasionally a cyst may form during ovulation that becomes quite large and symptomatic. Sometimes these cysts may need to be removed surgically, but often times, they can be watched expectantly. The ultrasound can be repeated in six to eight weeks to see if the cyst is resolving on its own. Reasons to remove the cyst surgically include severe pain or ovarian torsion (which usually causes severe pain also).