What is the Difference Between Ovarian Cyst and Diverticulitis

The key difference between ovarian cyst and diverticulitis is that ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that develop in the ovary and its surface, while diverticulitis is a condition in which small bulging pouches that develop in the digestive tract are infected or inflamed.

Abdominal pain is a common problem in men and women. Abdominal pain occurs in the region between the chest and groin. These pains can be sharp, dull, mild, moderate, or severe. The pain that comes and goes quickly is acute, while the pain that lasts for over six months is called chronic. Ovarian cysts and diverticulitis are two medical conditions that cause pain in the abdominal area.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Ovarian Cyst  
3. What is Diverticulitis
4. Similarities – Ovarian Cyst and Diverticulitis
5. Ovarian Cyst vs Diverticulitis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Ovarian Cyst vs Diverticulitis

What is Ovarian Cyst?

Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that develop in the ovary and its surface. Females have two ovaries located on each side of the uterus. Ovarian cysts are very common in women. Most of them cause little or no discomfort. Generally, they are harmless. Ovarian cysts often do not cause symptoms. But large ovarian cysts can cause pelvic pain, dull aches in the area below the belly button, heaviness in the abdomen, bloating, painful periods, and pain during intercourse. Moreover, complications involved in ovarian cysts include cancerous cysts, ruptured ovarian cysts, and ovarian torsion. Ovulation is the main cause of ovarian cysts. The other causes may include abnormal cell production, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Ovarian cysts can be diagnosed through a pelvic examination, ultrasound, and laparoscopy. Furthermore, treatment options for ovarian cysts are watchful waiting till cysts go away naturally, ovarian cysts medication (medications containing hormones to stop ovulation), and ovarian cysts surgery (laparoscopy and laparotomy).

What is Diverticulitis?

Diverticula are small bulging pouches that develop in the digestive tract. Diverticulosis normally occurs in the lining of the digestive tract and the lower part of the large intestine. When one or more pouches are inflamed, it is known as diverticulitis. The signs and symptoms of this condition may include persistent pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal tenderness, constipation, and diarrhoea. Moreover, diverticulitis is caused by not eating enough fiber, which leads to the build-up of waste in the colon. This puts extra pressure on the colon, and ultimately, pouches form in naturally weak places in the colon.

Diverticulitis can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, blood test, stool sample test, digital rectal exam, CT scan, barium enema, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and angiography. Furthermore, treatment options for diverticulitis include antibiotics such as metronidazole, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, pain medications, liquid diet till recovery, high-fiber foods after recovery, and possible surgery for severe cases like rectal bleeding.

What are the Similarities Between Ovarian Cyst and Diverticulitis?

• Ovarian cysts and diverticulitis are two medical conditions that cause pain in the abdominal area.
• Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging tests such as ultrasound and CT scans.
• They are not life-threatening conditions.
• Both conditions can be treated through specific medications and surgeries.

What is the Difference Between Ovarian Cyst and Diverticulitis?

Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that develop in the ovary and its surface, while diverticulitis is a condition in which small bulging pouches that develop in the digestive tract are infected or inflamed. Thus, this is the key difference between ovarian cyst and diverticulitis. Furthermore, ovarian cyst always occurs in women, while diverticulitis occurs more in men than women.

The below infographic presents the differences between ovarian cyst and diverticulitis in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Ovarian Cyst vs Diverticulitis

Ovarian cysts and diverticulitis are two medical conditions that cause pain in the abdominal area. Both these medical conditions occur in adults. Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that develop in the ovary and its surface. Diverticulosis refers to small bulging pouches that develop in the digestive tract. Diverticulitis occurs when these pouches are infected or inflamed. Ovarian cysts are common in women, while diverticulitis occurs more in men. So, this summarizes the difference between ovarian cyst and diverticulitis.

Reference:

1. “Ovarian Cyst.” NHS Choices, NHS.
2. “Diverticulosis & Diverticulitis: Symptoms, Treatments, Prevention.” Cleveland Clinic.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Benign Ovarian Cyst” By Ed Uthman (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
2. “Colon diverticulosis whole slide” By myself (Alex_brollo) – Slide files from Hospital of Monfalcone (Italy) (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia