I really need someones opinion... What does "Partially solid partially Cystic Mass" mean?

Okay, so I went to see a Sonologist, and she found a mass in my lower left abdomen extending through the middle and to the right. It's 9.6 x 8.3 x 6.4 cm big. I am 24 and I need to have a scope done through my belly button.

The problem is that the doctors don't know what it is. Her description was "partially solid partially cystic mass".

I just want to know, would this fit the description of a cyst? A tumor? What?

Anyone with an opinion or a story that is similar, I would appreciate any help regarding this...

Thanks in Advance Guys

reply to post by Tripple_Helix


Part bone, part cancer/tumor.

reply to post by Tripple_Helix


cyst   [sist]
noun
1. Pathology . a closed, bladderlike sac formed in animal tissues, containing fluid or semifluid matter.
2. a bladder, sac, or vesicle.

Partially solid, partially cystic would mean that this mass has hard lumpy bits, mixed in with some squishy fluid.

The hard lumpy bits could be normal tissue inflamed in reaction to the icky fluid. Also the cause of the fluids as the fluid builds up could be your body trying to fight off an attack, whatever is causing the hard lumpy bits.
There's lots of different different things that could be going on and causing this mess.

It could be caused by a parasite. Could be a strange boil. Allergic reaction to something could be cause, especially if something in your environment has recently changed. Could be an odd hernia.
Tons of different things it could be, or be caused by, which is why they need to scope it.

I'd avoid poking at it. You don't want the cyst enclosure to burst and permeate any surrounding healthy tissues.

Is this dermal, sub-dermal, internal?

Best wishes.

It's a generic way of saying she found a lump. A cyst is just a sac wirh a membrane containing fluid and/or semi solid material such as calcium deposits. I would'nt worry too much. I've had cycsts come and go my whole life.

Originally posted by NeoVain
Part bone, part cancer/tumor.

NO!

Originally posted by Tripple_Helix
"partially solid partially cystic mass".

Are you a guy or a girl. Makes a difference as to what is in there ...

I'm a girl and in my case ... I've had tons of those. Every last one turned out non-cancerous if that is your concern. It COULD be cancer of course, but most of the time they turn out not to be. I also had the laproscopy done through the belly button. That was 9 years ago. Most of the time things can be removed that way and then tested. In my case, they went in and saw that I needed even more surgery than the laproscopy could handle so I had to go back a month later to be cut open and to have a bunch of stuff removed ... and none turned out to be cancer.

They do all sort of things laproscopically now a days ... appendix comes out that way ... even hysterectomies can be done that way. The recover period for laproscopy is supposed to be three days for the average person. (mine was more like 2 weeks).

My 'partially solid' things ended up being mostly calcium.

I did have cancer twice .. but that's in another place on the body and another story.

Try not to worry too much, as others have said there are thousands of things this could be. If they are using the word 'cyst', it's even less to worry about. Cysts are very common, and most often absolutely nothing to worry about.

reply to post by nineix


Hi, thanks for the informative post

This would be internal, left lower abdomen. My gyne originally found the problem, and then referred me to a Sonologist who is now referring me back to the gyne for a scope.

Parasite? Really? That's freaky and scary,

I've been living with this pain for about 5 years now. When it started, I had a scan and x-rays and they found nothing. So I wrote it off to IBS... Just went for my normal gyne check up and they found this.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Hi Flyers Fan,

Yes, I am a girl, lol.

Thank you for posting.

I suppose I am just a little freaked out as to why the doctors don't know what it is. And both of them specialize in those fields. When I saw the Sonologist, she said that her first diagnosis would have been a burst appendix, but my apendix is on the right and the fluid is not free flowing. It is contained, somehow.

Her second diagnosis would have been an ovarian cyst but seeing that the gynecologist said all was fine in that area, she can't really say. She also said something about "Diverticulitis" or something but that my symptoms don't match up with that...

Oh well, only time will tell.
I'm not too stressed out about it.

It's been there for a while. I have pain but I'm not feeling ill, so that's a good sign.



I can't imagine going though this so many times though..well done to you. Does it hurt real bad and how is the scarring if you don't mind me asking ?

reply to post by Painterz


Thanks, I just posted this to find out what the description would fit... A tumor or a cyst. As the doctor failed to mention that and actually they aren't sure what it is in any case.

I'm not too worried

Thanks though

Originally posted by Tripple_Helix
Okay, so I went to see a Sonologist, and she found a mass in my lower left abdomen extending through the middle and to the right. It's 9.6 x 8.3 x 6.4 cm big. I am 24 and I need to have a scope done through my belly button.

The problem is that the doctors don't know what it is. Her description was "partially solid partially cystic mass".

I just want to know, would this fit the description of a cyst? A tumor? What?

Anyone with an opinion or a story that is similar, I would appreciate any help regarding this...

Thanks in Advance Guys

It means it's that gray area where it could be either cancer or benign. It needs further testing to find out.

reply to post by Tripple_Helix


Occasionally the appendix...and by occasionally I mean really rarely.....can be on the left side and not the right. But if this pain has been going on for 5 years and it was a burst appendix even on the left...we wouldn't be having this discussion. A cyst is a fluid filled mass. A tumor is a solid mass. They don't usually go together.

Ovarian torsion or cancer could be a cause, but it sounds like that was ruled out? Did they do a CA 125 blood test on you? If they did and it was positive you would know it...but you still should ask. Does the pain come and go? Or is it constant?

It could be something even as weird in the area it's in as something like a partial obstruction in the sigmoid colon. Maybe a cyst started there and has been trapping food and waste and creating almost like a hair ball type thing there. An abscess from an old infection or parasite. It could be a polyp.

It could be related to the kidneys and ureter on the left side. Have they ruled that out? Or and artery or vein that supplies the colon or mesentery in that area.

This is a tough one cause there's really not much on the lower left side. If it isn't retroperitoneal...like the kidneys, and isn't ovarian there isn't much else there but the colon. They can scope you and see and maybe even fix it without causing any scarring. Or it could be something a laproscopy can handle. But without further info there's no way to tell.

Basically....to answer your initial title question though...it means you have something solid and something fluid filled in the same area. My moneys on an intra-abdominal abscess at the moment. But make sure you keep your appointments and followup with whoever they send you to if the current one looking at it doesn't know. It may be non serious, or it could be really serious.

I doubt my answer was much of a help to you LLQ abd.pain is just not my area of expertise.

reply to post by webpirate


Hi there,

She also thought it could be appendix but my appendix seems to be fine...

They have not done any blood tests yet, I suppose that would be scheduled quite soon. I am going down to the hospital just now to make an appointment for the scope.

The pain is worse after eating. I feel really full after eating a small amount but I eat very regularly. But none the less, I can always feel the pain, just much worse after eating.

I suppose my bowel being full is pressing on the mass.

I do have high stress levels, maybe it could have something to do with that.

All my other organs seem to be fine, which is good. So thing is just 'there'..

I really appreciate your answer.

I just wish I trusted my own instinct throughout the years and got a second opinion.
It's also difficult when people call you a hypochondriac because you're always complaining that somethings not right. And having the doctors tell me all those years back that "we can't see anything abnormal" didn't help much either.

After a while I truly did believe it was all in my head... or maybe IBS that was triggered by stress.

Sorry for blabbing.
I guess it's only sinking in now. I really didn't think that something like this would ever happen to me, lol.

Oh well, rather me than someone else, right?

Thanks again.

Just had another scan,

It seems almost 100% chance that is an ovarian cyst.

They are not going to do a laporoscopy (sp) because if if they puncture it, and the fluid leaks into the abdomen, it can cause serious problems.

Well, I would like to thank all for posting.

ATS is a good place after all... a lot of good people here wanting to help

Thanks guys!