In January, I had surgery to remove a dermoid cyst off of my ovary. Immediately following surgery, I began my period after not having it for years. My doctor said my periods delay was due to the cyst, but now I think my cycle is messed up because I didn’t get my period for February. Is there something wrong?

Thank you for your question. A dermoid cyst (also called a mature teratoma) is a common type of benign growth on the ovary. It’s different from other ovarian cysts such as a Follicular or Corpus Luteum because a dermoid cyst doesn’t affect your hormones. These cysts are usually not harmful but can result in pain if there is torsion of the ovary (twisting of the ovary). Having a dermoid shouldn’t affect your periods. Sometimes when a girl is stressed about surgery, hormone levels may fall and the result is a period. If you haven’t had your period for years, you should see your primary care provider (PCP) and figure out what is causing the problem.


Our health guides are developed through a systematic, rigorous process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness. Written and reviewed by experienced healthcare clinicians from Boston Children's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and consistently ranked as a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, these guides combine clinical expertise, specialized knowledge, and evidence-based medicine. We also incorporate research and best practices from authoritative sources such as the CDC, NIH, PubMed, top medical journals, and UpToDate.com. Clinical specialists and subject matter experts review and edit each guide, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, factual, scientifically accurate health information for young people.