An ovarian cyst is a sac filled with liquid or semiliquid material that arises in an ovary. While the discovery of an ovarian cyst causes considerable anxiety in women owing to fears of malignancy, the vast majority of these lesions are benign. Most patients with ovarian cysts are asymptomatic, with the cysts being discovered incidentally during ultrasonography or routine pelvic examination. Some cysts, however, may be associated with a range of symptoms, sometimes severe. Many patients with simple ovarian cysts found through ultrasonographic examination do not necessitate treatment. In a postmenopausal patient, a persistent simple cyst smaller than 10 cm in dimension in the presence of a normal CA125 value may be monitored with serial ultrasonographic examinations. When ovarian cysts are large, persistent, painful or have concerning radiographic or exam findings, surgery may be required, sometimes resulting in removal of the ovary. We conducted this review using a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane database of systematic reviews and Cochrane central register of controlled trials from January 1, 1995, through January 1, 2017.