Rupture of the ovary following aerobic exercise

Phuong Anh, a 26-year-old aerobics instructor, experienced severe abdominal pain after teaching her students. Initially, she thought she had appendicitis, but after consulting with a doctor, it was discovered that she had a ruptured ovarian cyst and bleeding.

On April 17, Doctor Le Thanh Hung, Deputy Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, explained that Phuong Anh’s abdominal CT results ruled out appendicitis and showed bleeding from her left ovary. The doctor diagnosed her with a ruptured corpus luteum cyst, which caused intra-abdominal bleeding.

Women have two ovaries responsible for producing eggs and hormones. During the menstrual cycle, the ovaries form corpus luteum cysts, which last for about two weeks from ovulation to the start of the next cycle. Factors like vigorous exercise, excessive labor, or incorrect sexual intercourse can lead to the rupture of these cysts, causing bleeding.

In Phuong Anh’s case, Doctor Thanh Hung attributed the rupture of her ovarian cyst to her intense aerobics workouts, which prevented the bleeding from stopping on its own. If she continued with vigorous exercise, there was a risk of further cyst rupture and serious bleeding, potentially leading to hemorrhagic shock.

Phuong Anh was hospitalized and given hemostatic drugs to stop the bleeding. Doctor Thanh Hung advised that if her condition did not improve, she might need surgery. Fortunately, after 6-12 hours of treatment, Phuong Anh responded well, and the bleeding had stopped on its own.

To prevent similar incidents, women should avoid excessive exercise, particularly activities that impact the abdominal area, during their menstrual cycle. It’s important to seek medical attention for any unusual symptoms of lower abdominal pain to receive timely treatment and avoid complications.