Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Nabothian cysts are small, harmless cysts on the cervix. They cannot become cancer.Thecervix, which is the entrance to theuterus, is covered in mucus glands. When these become blocked, mucus builds up, creating the cyst. Most women have these cysts, and it’s common to have many of them. Nabothian cysts usually pose no health threat and don’t need any treatment in most cases.Rarely, they cause symptoms and may need to be drained.
Continue reading to learn more about nabothian cysts, including why they appear, how common they are and what you should do if you have them.
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Nabothian Cysts Symptoms
In most cases, nabothian cysts don’t cause any symptoms. That’s why you likely won’t know whether you have them unless your healthcare provider mentions is after a pelvic exam.
In rarer cases, if you have a very large nabothian cyst, you might experience:
Larger cysts can pressure other organs in your pelvis, which might lead to difficulty using the bathroom. It can also cause general pain, discomfort or pressure in the pelvis.
It’s common for nabothian cysts to occur. Many people experience multiple nabothian cysts without symptoms.
Nabothian cysts are usually detected incidentally (meaning, on accident) when you have other health procedures. It’s common for healthcare providers to notice nabothian cysts duringPAP smears,pelvic exams,transvaginal ultrasoundsand evenmagnetic resonance imaging(MRI) scans.
Ruling Out Cervical Cancer
Nabothian cysts are benign (noncancerous) and they cannot become cervical cancer. However, sometimes they can be mistaken for cancerous tumors, or make it difficult for healthcare providers to screen for cervical cancer. For example, cysts that burst may make PAP smears less effective at detecting cancer.
If your healthcare provider is concerned about cancer, they might order an MRI. This can help them determine where the cyst is growing. Nabothian cysts are created in the mucus glands, whereas malignant tumors usually originate deeper in your cervical tissue.If the MRI is inconclusive, your healthcare provider might recommend abiopsyto check for cancerous cells.
Most nabothian cysts don’t need any treatment.However, if your cysts are causing symptoms or interfering with your healthcare provider’s ability to screen for cancer, they might suggest treatment. Pregnant people may need treatment if a healthcare provider is concerned that the cysts might prevent them from delivering vaginally.
The prognosis for nabothian cysts is very positive. There is no chance that this type of cyst can become cancerous.Most people with nabothian cysts never experience symptoms and don’t require any treatment.
Summary
Nabothian cysts are common, harmless cysts on the surface of the cervix. Most women have them and never experience symptoms. Rarely, nabothian cysts can cause symptoms like pain during sex, or interfere with your healthcare provider’s ability to screen for cervical cancer. In those cases, your healthcare provider will likely drain the cyst using a scalpel, electricity or cryosurgery. However, most people with nabothian cysts will never have symptoms or need treatment.
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.AlJulaih G.H., Puckett Y.Nabothian cyst. National Center for Biotechnology Information.Medline Plus.Nabothian cyst.National Library of Medicine.Barrigon A, et al.Nabothian cyst content: A potential pitfall for the diagnosis of invasive cancer on Pap test cytology.Diagnostic Cytopatholgy. February 2019.
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.AlJulaih G.H., Puckett Y.Nabothian cyst. National Center for Biotechnology Information.Medline Plus.Nabothian cyst.National Library of Medicine.Barrigon A, et al.Nabothian cyst content: A potential pitfall for the diagnosis of invasive cancer on Pap test cytology.Diagnostic Cytopatholgy. February 2019.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
AlJulaih G.H., Puckett Y.Nabothian cyst. National Center for Biotechnology Information.Medline Plus.Nabothian cyst.National Library of Medicine.Barrigon A, et al.Nabothian cyst content: A potential pitfall for the diagnosis of invasive cancer on Pap test cytology.Diagnostic Cytopatholgy. February 2019.
AlJulaih G.H., Puckett Y.Nabothian cyst. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Medline Plus.Nabothian cyst.National Library of Medicine.
Barrigon A, et al.Nabothian cyst content: A potential pitfall for the diagnosis of invasive cancer on Pap test cytology.Diagnostic Cytopatholgy. February 2019.
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