Yellow body - what is it?

You are pregnant, and with ultrasound diagnosis you were told that you have a yellow body in the left or right ovary. You are covered with panic: how dangerous is it for you and your future child?

And in general, the yellow body - what is it? A gynecologist can calm you, but does he have enough time and patience to understand clearly and intelligibly the cause of this phenomenon in your body? Read this article and you will not have any questions.

You may not even guess what processes took place in your body every month for the sake of one day that a successful conception of a child happened. Nature prepares the woman's body for this joyful event since birth.

Estrogen is a female hormone that provides the formation of the girl's mammary glands, uterus and ovaries. This hormone regulates the cyclic activity of the glands of internal secretion, makes the skin elastic and promotes the renewal of bone tissue. Its level varies during different periods of the cycle. When the concentration of estrogens reaches a maximum - the dominant follicle is broken. The egg enters the cavity of the small pelvis, then it appears in the fallopian tube, where it is fertilized by the spermatozoon, and then it appears in the uterus.

At the site of the ruptured follicle, a stigma is formed - a scar from the connective tissue. A body is formed around it, called yellow because of the color of the constituent substance - lutein. The yellow body is an endocrine gland of a temporary nature. It resembles a sac in which the liquid is located, 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 system of blood vessels completes its formation, at the same time the function of the yellow body reaches its heyday.

The main task of this gland is the production of progesterone. Progesterone, in comparison with estrogen, is associated more often with the "strong" sex. For the "weak" 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 in her a woman's maternal feelings.

Since the adrenal glands produce very little progesterone, the required level of this hormone is achieved after the formation of the yellow body. This gland performs its functions for 14 days. If during this time there is no fertilization, then the yellow body atrophies, the inner mucous layer of the uterus is rejected and menstruation occurs. On the spot of the temporary gland appears a whitish body, then it disappears by itself.

In the event that the conception took place, almost the entire body of a woman undergoes significant changes. The immune system is activated, metabolic processes are accelerated, which will ensure the protection of the fetus and the production of a sufficient number of nutrients. During pregnancy, the ovaries increase, the cyclic processes are temporarily suspended. Well, the yellow body in the ovary during pregnancy continues to function more actively, producing an increasing number of hormones. This will occur before the full maturation of the child's placental place and taking on the development of the necessary hormones. And it can happen on the 10-16th week of pregnancy, but sometimes, according to statistics in 1 case out of 10, this gland retains its activity until the end of ripening of the fetus. In diameter, the yellow body can be from 10 to 30 mm.

The diagnosis - "yellow body cyst" does not seem dangerous for the health of a woman or for the occurrence of pregnancy. There is no need for any treatment, since the tumor itself dissolves.

In the case of diagnosing functional deficiency of the yellow body, corrective measures need to be applied, otherwise it may 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.