User:Mr. Ibrahem/Bartholin's cyst
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
Bartholin's cyst | |
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Other names | Bartholin duct cyst[1] |
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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] |
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]