| Bartholin's cyst | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Bartholin duct cyst[1] |
 | |
| Bartholin's cyst of the right side | |
| Specialty | Gynecology |
| Symptoms | Swelling of one side of the vagina, typically painless, sometimes no symptoms[1] |
| Complications | Abscess[2] |
| Usual onset | Childbearing age[2] |
| Causes | Unknown[1] |
| Diagnostic method | By its appearance[1] |
| Differential diagnosis | Sebaceous cyst, hernia, hidradenitis suppurativa, folliculitis, vulvar cancer[3][4] |
| Treatment | Placement of a Word catheter, incision and drainage, marsupialization, sitz baths[3][5] |
| Frequency | Common, 2% of females[2] |
A Bartholin's cyst is a noncancerous soft bump at the side of the vaginal opening.[1] It occurs when a Bartholin's gland, within the labia, becomes blocked.[1] While small cysts may result in minimal symptoms, larger cysts may result in a swelling on one side of the vagina, as well as pain during sex or walking.[5] If it becomes infected, an abscess can occur, which is typically red and very painful.[2]
The cause of a Bartholin's cyst is not known.[5] An abscess results from a bacterial infection, but it is not usually a sexually transmitted infection (STI).[6] Rarely, gonorrhea may be involved.[5][4] Diagnosis is typically based on symptoms and examination.[5] In females over the age of 40, a tissue biopsy is often recommended to rule out cancer.[3][5]
If there are no symptoms, no treatment is needed.[2][5] However, when the cyst becomes uncomfortable or painful, drainage is recommended.[2] The preferred method is the insertion of a Word catheter for four weeks, as recurrence following simple incision and drainage is common.[2][3] A surgical procedure known as marsupialization may be used or, if the problems persist, the entire gland may be removed.[2] Removal is sometimes recommended in those older than 40 to ensure cancer is not present.[2] Antibiotics are not generally needed to treat a Bartholin's cyst.[2]
Bartholin's cysts affect about 2% of women at some point in their life.[2] They most commonly occur during childbearing years.[2] The cyst is named after Caspar Bartholin who accurately described the glands in 1677.[7] The underlying mechanism of the cyst was determined in 1967 by 20th Century obstetrician Samuel Buford Word.[8][7][9]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f WHO Classification of Tumours Editorial Board, ed. (2020). "10. Tumours of the vulva: Bartholin gland cyst". Female genital tumours: WHO Classification of Tumours. Vol. 4 (5th ed.). Lyon (France): International Agency for Research on Cancer. p. 440. ISBN 978-92-832-4504-9. Archived from the original on 2022-06-17. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Omole, Folashade; Simmons, Barbara J.; Hacker Yolanda (2003). "Management of Bartholin's duct cyst and gland abscess". American Family Physician. 68 (1): 135–40. PMID 12887119. Archived from the original on 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
- ^ a b c d Lee, MY; Dalpiaz, A; Schwamb, R; Miao, Y; Waltzer, W; Khan, A (May 2015). "Clinical Pathology of Bartholin's Glands: A Review of the Literature". Current Urology. 8 (1): 22–5. doi:10.1159/000365683. PMC 4483306. PMID 26195958.
- ^ a b Ferri, Fred (2017). Ferri's clinical advisor 2018 : 5 books in 1. Elsevier Canada. p. 175. ISBN 978-0323280495.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Bartholin Gland Cysts". Merck Manuals Professional Edition. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
- ^ Marx, John A. Marx (2014). "Skin and Soft Tissue Infections". Rosen's emergency medicine : concepts and clinical practice (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders. pp. Chapter 137. ISBN 1455706051.
- ^ a b Knaus, John V.; Isaacs, John H. (2012). Office Gynecology: Advanced Management Concepts. Springer-Verlag. p. 266. ISBN 9781461243403. Archived from the original on 2018-09-12. Retrieved 2018-09-12.
- ^ Baskett, Thomas F (2019). Mr. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. pp. 455–457. ISBN 978-1108421706.
- ^ Williams Gynecology (2 ed.). McGraw Hill Professional. 2012. p. 1063. ISBN 9780071804653.