Doctors Find Cyst With Hair & Teeth After Woman Suffers Painful Periods For 20 Years

From the age of nine, London-based entrepreneur Valentina Milanova (30) endured excruciating periods, fearing for years that she could be dying or afflicted by a mysterious disease. It is now eventually traced to an 8cm ovarian cyst, filled with hair and teeth. The shocking discovery led to a diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition affecting millions worldwide, Manchester Evening News reported. 

“I Thought I Was Dying”

Milanova, originally from Bulgaria, got her first period at just nine years old, far earlier than most girls. But without any education or understanding of what was happening to her body, her experience was terrifying.

"I thought I was dying or had some mysterious disease," she recalled.

By age 11, the severe cramps and heavy bleeding became so intense that her parents sought medical help. Doctors prescribed her contraceptive pills, the standard go-to for period pain. But instead of helping, her symptoms worsened.

By 14, the pain was so debilitating that she had to miss an entire year of school. Emergency room visits became routine, and with each one came a series of invasive tests and misdiagnoses. Doctors even suspected she had E. coli, kidney disease, or an ectopic pregnancy, despite Milanova repeatedly clarifying that she had never been sexually active.

A Shocking Discovery

It wasn't until she was 15 that an intravaginal scan finally revealed the cause, an 8cm dermoid ovarian cyst, a benign tumour filled with hair, teeth, and skin tissue. Alongside this rare growth, Milanova was also diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder affecting millions of women in the world.

While the diagnosis brought some clarity, it didn’t end her struggle. Milanova continued to face severe pelvic pain, bloating, and heavy bleeding, symptoms that, like for so many women, were often dismissed or misunderstood by medical professionals.

Turning Pain Into Purpose

Fuelled by her personal experiences and determined to prevent others from enduring the same neglect, in 2018, Milanova launched Daye, a femtech startup focused on revolutionising period care.

The company introduced diagnostic tampons and pelvic pain management tools, already helping over 100,000 women across the UK while contributing to vital vaginal health research.

"My story is just one of many showing how women's pain is deprioritised. We can't keep passing this challenge to the next generation — we need solutions now," she said.