You are pregnant, and with an ultrasound scan, they told you that you have a corpus luteum in your left or right ovary. You are in a panic: how dangerous is it for you and your unborn child?
And in general, the corpus luteum - what is it? A gynecologist can reassure you, but will he have enough time and patience to understand clearly and intelligibly the reason for this phenomenon in your body? Read this article and you won’t have any questions.
You may not even be aware of the processes that took place in your body every month in order to only have a successful conception of the baby. Nature prepares the woman’s body for this joyful event from birth.
Estrogen is a female hormone that provides the girl with the formation of mammary glands, uterus and ovaries. This hormone regulates the cyclic activity of the endocrine glands, makes the skin supple and promotes bone renewal. Its level in different periods of the cycle fluctuates. When the concentration of estrogen reaches its maximum, the dominant follicle breaks. The egg enters the pelvic cavity, then appears in the fallopian tube, where it is fertilized by the sperm, and then it ends up in the uterus.
In place of a torn follicle, stigma is formed - a scar from connective tissue. A body is formed around it, called yellow because of the color of its constituent substance - lutein. The corpus luteum is a temporary endocrine gland. It looks like a bag in which there is fluid, and it is attached to the wall of the ovary. This gland has the most saturated blood flow in the body of a woman. On 3-4 days after ovulation, the blood vessel system completes its formation, then the function of the corpus luteum reaches its peak.
The main task of this gland is the production of progesterone. Progesterone, in comparison with estrogen, is more often associated with a "strong" gender. For the "weaker" sex, it plays the role of the so-called pregnancy hormone. Its important function is to prepare the uterus for bearing and preserving the fetus, as well as to awaken her mother's feelings in a woman.
Since the adrenal glands produce progesterone in very small quantities, the necessary level of this hormone is achieved after the formation of the corpus luteum. This gland performs its functions for 14 days. If fertilization does not occur during this time, then the corpus luteum atrophies, the internal mucous layer of the uterus is rejected and menstruation begins. In place of the temporary gland, a whitish body appears, then it disappears by itself.
In the event that the conception has taken place, almost the entire body of a woman undergoes significant changes. The immune system is activated, metabolic processes are accelerated, which will protect the fetus and produce enough nutrients. During pregnancy, the ovaries increase, cyclic processes temporarily stop. Well, the corpus luteum in the ovary during pregnancy continues to function more actively, producing more and more hormones. This will happen until the children's placental space is fully matured and it takes upon itself the production of the necessary hormones. And it can happen at 10-16 weeks of gestation, but sometimes, according to statistics, in 1 out of 10 cases, this gland retains its activity until the end of fetal maturation. In diameter, the corpus luteum can be from 10 to 30 mm.
The diagnosis - "corpus luteum cyst" does not seem to be dangerous for a woman's health or for the occurrence of pregnancy. No treatment is needed here, as the tumor itself resolves.
In the case of diagnosing functional insufficiency of the corpus luteum, corrective measures must be applied, otherwise it can lead to premature miscarriage or the development of placental insufficiency. Acute and chronic inflammatory processes of the appendages increase the risk of insufficient functioning of this formation.