Can an ovarian cyst deflate?

[Freela]

So our 5-year-8-month-old pig, Leela, was diagnosed with what the vet thought was likely ovarian cancer in July. She had a large mass on one side that looked lobulated/complex on x-ray. It had actually been diagnosed first when she was 4, but a previous vet thought it was a kidney mass and didn't recommend surgery or more detailed imaging. But this vet was sure it was an ovarian tumor and told us we should either opt to euthanize that day, to attempt surgery to remove the mass, or to give her pain relief and take her home on palliative care to see if she could have a few additional happy days or weeks with the family. So we opted for the third, just wanting to keep her comfortable and spend time with her if possible for as long as she would eat and drink and do normal guinea pig things. When she stopped doing that we would have her PTS, and we were prepared for her to go on her own very soon. So... two months later, she's still taking her meds, still eating well, still happy/busy/moochy guinea pig. And the weirdest thing is, about two or three weeks ago, I realized that she looked less bulky on her tumor side. She always felt firm/thick on that side compared to the other... now she's squishy. Her abdomen just feels like any pig's abdomen. I can't find any of that solid-feeling mass in there anywhere. So... can an ovarian cyst leak out over time? Can a piggie live through that process? It's the weirdest thing I've ever encountered health-wise with a pig... we are thrilled that she is still with us, but we have NO idea what is going on with her! I will take her back to the vet when her meds run out just to have a pro feel her abdomen, but I got really used to what we always called "Leela's lump" because it was diagnosed back in 2020 so I had lots of time to feel it... and it's gone now.

 

[poggle]

In humans they certainly can. If they rupture it is quite painful, but they can also just fizzle out. For example, on my 6w pregnancy scan (private because I was freaking out) I had a something they said was either a cyst or an endometrioma, but it was gone by my 12w scan and I hadn't felt it go. Not sure if it's the same in pigs though

 

[Swissgreys]

I was diagnosed with 3 ovarian cysts year ago ( I had no idea, they were picked up in a routine scan).
They are monitored every few months and one has now 'gone'. The Dr says this is not uncommon (in humans).
So maybe it's the same with piggies?

As a slight aside, one of the kids overheard DH asking how it went after my last appointment.
As soon as she heard I had ovarian cysts, she asked if I was going to be spayed

 

[Bill & Ted]

If ovarian cysts are caused by hormone imbalances then I think it’s perfectly possible for the cysts to disappear. There are different types of ovarian cysts, fluid filled and benign or cancerous cysts which are solid. The fluid filled types often come and go in humans and often are never detected and cause no problems. I had a large ovarian cyst (the size of a tennis ball) drained which was fluid filled many years ago thought to be caused by the progesterone pill, so it’s likely this cyst has gone of it’s own accord.
That’s great news for Leela

 

[Lady Kelly]

One of the exotics specialists I have seen previously said they could resolve on their own and in fact he felt one pop during physical examination. My piggy didn't seem to be in any discomfort or pain at all and he said it was safe and sterile inside so shouldn't cause future problems

 

[WobblyPiggy]

Hi, I belive they can get smaller on their own or with help...our female had them and was getting hormone injections every 3 weeks...hers were slowly getting smaller...not by much each time but still smaller...if your piggy is already taken pain meds it may be that they didn't realise because of the effect...which is good...

 

[Freela]

I left a message with the vet today to see what they think, if they want to see her again and reassess, and if they want to do anything with her meds (she's still on quite strong pain meds which I'm not sure if she should still be on.) Fingers crossed that the really bad diagnosis was, in fact, a misdiagnosis because we would love to keep our girl with us for a long time to come!

Here's Leela... I asked her what was going on with her ovary, but she doesn't seem to know either!

 

[WobblyPiggy]

Shes beautiful...hopefully it is...but if she's comfortable and still eating on her own and seems her normal self then I'd carry on like you are...its always useful to keep a vet in the loop...keeping her comfortable and happy is the main thing...I mean look at thay face...she looks like shes plotting to get up to some mischief later...unless bribed with extra treats to behave

 

[Bill & Ted]

Oh Leela is a beauty, hoping those cysts have gone for good x

 

[Freela]

UPDATE: The vet got back to me at last, I have a followup appointment for Leela on October 4th. We'll see what they say. I'm really nervous about the appointment just because Leela's entire course so far has been a roller coaster ride (we were told she was unlikely to last more than a week or two in mid-July), plus I've got some other family stressors going on right now. But fingers crossed they can give us some guidance on whether she actually has a tumor diagnosis or not, and where to go with meds. I guess the worst news I get is that she's still terminally ill, so it's not like they're going to tell me something worse than that, right? Me and my stupid worrying problem!

 

[Freela]

So a confusing but mainly positive appointment for Leela today. The vet confirmed that the bulk of the big ovarian mass is gone. It must have been cystic and not a solid cancerous mass like they thought. However, the vet still thinks that her deeper abdomen doesn't feel completely normal but couldn't really quantify what she's feeling. So there's something underlying her issue, but I'm starting to think we are never actually going to get a clear diagnosis. The good thing is that Leela was comfortable through all the deep palpation despite being almost 12 hours out from her last dose of meds, so we going to try weaning her pain med to see how she does without. The vet will renew the prescription if she appears worse again when we reduce the meds. I don't want to do a bunch of further diagnostics because they are expensive and because she's pushing 6 years old and I'm wary to put her through a major abdominal operation at her age. I would rather just accept that she's a mystery and just work at keeping her happy and healthy in her golden years for as long as possible. Anyway, so much better than last appointment when we were told she would probably pass in days to a week or two... she's baffling but we are very glad she is still with us!

 

[WobblyPiggy]

I'm glad she's oki...hopefully she carries on being oki...

 

[Swissgreys]

So a confusing but mainly positive appointment for Leela today. The vet confirmed that the bulk of the big ovarian mass is gone. It must have been cystic and not a solid cancerous mass like they thought. However, the vet still thinks that her deeper abdomen doesn't feel completely normal but couldn't really quantify what she's feeling. So there's something underlying her issue, but I'm starting to think we are never actually going to get a clear diagnosis. The good thing is that Leela was comfortable through all the deep palpation despite being almost 12 hours out from her last dose of meds, so we going to try weaning her pain med to see how she does without. The vet will renew the prescription if she appears worse again when we reduce the meds. I don't want to do a bunch of further diagnostics because they are expensive and because she's pushing 6 years old and I'm wary to put her through a major abdominal operation at her age. I would rather just accept that she's a mystery and just work at keeping her happy and healthy in her golden years for as long as possible. Anyway, so much better than last appointment when we were told she would probably pass in days to a week or two... she's baffling but we are very glad she is still with us!

That's great news and I think at her age, if she seems fine within herself, then leaving her to get on with being a medical mystery is probably the absolute best option for everyone.

 

[munchmonster]

They do bring us some stressful moments for small piggies! So pleased you have some better news today. x