Woman 'finds out her ovarian cyst was a teratoma with hair, teeth, eyeball that killed her ovary': Doctor explains

Large teratomas can lead to serious complications like ovarian torsion, which can cut off blood flow to the ovary and affect fertility. Here's what to know.

Dr Kunal Sood, an anesthesiology and interventional pain medicine physician, shared an Instagram post on July 27 to highlight what teratomas are – a type of tumour that can contain several different types of tissues, including hair, muscle, teeth, or bone. They are usually benign, he said as he reacted to a woman's video in which she expressed shock over her having the rare tumour.

Teratomas are tumours

She wrote about her video: “Me waking up after surgery finding out my 'ovarian cyst' was actually a teratoma with hair, teeth and an eyeball? And that it grew so big, it twisted and killed my ovary.”

In his caption, Dr Sood wrote, “Some ovarian 'cysts' turn out to be teratomas: tumours that can contain fat, hair, or even teeth. Most are benign, but larger ones can cause serious complications like ovarian torsion, which may affect fertility. Did you know not all cysts are just cysts?”

‘They can twist the ovary’

In the video he posted, Dr Sood explained, “Believe it or not, this can actually happen. Teratomas are tumours that contain hair, skin, and even teeth. They're most often found in the ovaries. They sometimes look like simple cysts on imaging. But unlike fluid-filled cysts, teratomas often contain fat or calcifications and form from germ cells, not normal ovarian tissue. Most are benign.”

He added, “But if they grow larger than 5 to 10 cm, they can twist the ovary, a complication called ovarian torsion. This cuts off blood flow and, without urgent surgery, can permanently damage or destroy the ovary, putting fertility at risk. Distinguishing between a cyst and a teratoma early is critical. Diagnosis often depends on a combination of imaging, clinical exam, and sometimes surgery to confirm.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.