A Bartholin cyst is a fluid-filled lump that forms on the Bartholin glands near the opening of the vagina.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d9af9b2e-4684-4878-a5d6-1e677b690972 The Bartholin glands sit on either side of the vagina and make lubricating fluid. When these glands get blocked, fluid can back up in them and form a Bartholin cyst. Bartholin cysts are often small and painless.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d4699e58-0b99-4c02-ab7f-82affcadf921 They aren’t harmful and can usually be managed at home. But if a cyst gets infected, a healthcare provider may need to drain the cyst or prescribe an antibiotic to clear up the infection.
Signs and Symptoms of Bartholin Cysts Symptoms A Bartholin cyst looks like a swollen, round bump on one side of the vaginal opening.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762995f91f65-ec8a-4bf2-b633-ebbee19b758e It can be as small as a pea or as large as a golf ball. It may be filled with fluid or pus if it’s infected. A small cyst probably won’t cause any pain or other symptoms.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d3134884-fe3a-4e64-a054-d88bc9cb3c56 Larger or infected cysts can cause symptoms like these:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b4bb5262-d26d-4a00-beb0-997bfdfbad78 A tender, swollen lump near the opening to the vagina Drainage from the cyste60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762990456104-f5de-443c-a464-9cc24e020f7d Redness and warmthe60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d74404ed-9643-4934-9f64-ab5a5561b7aa A fever Pain when you walk, sit, insert a tampon, use the bathroom, or have sexe60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295cfd374a-9be0-4b2f-94d6-1a4e89943a61
Causes and Risk Factors of Bartholin Cysts Causes The two pea-size Bartholin glands sit on either side of the vagina lips (labia).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976296fbe89c7-aab4-46e8-a4fb-a090f2cd4441 They release fluid through tiny tubes called ducts for vaginal lubrication during sex. If the opening to one of these ducts becomes clogged or is obstructed, fluid can build up inside and get stuck.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976291b5cc292-c6d0-4f95-96a9-30bb8f142b98 This fluid backup can happen because of an injury, a sexually transmitted infection (STI), or an infection in or near the vagina. The blocked fluid can swell into a lump. It could take many years for a cyst to form.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976296f88fa34-82df-42f2-89d4-fd2adfee1baa But within days after growing, the cyst can get infected and form an abscess. Bartholin cysts most often affect women who:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762944d21b3f-8dd3-471d-97f6-9e4c22017fef Are 20 to 40 years old Injured or irritated the skin of their vulva Have an STI like chlamydia or gonorrhea Have a bacterial infection like Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) Recently gave birth, especially if they had an episiotomy e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295acc2512-e760-4c02-ac9f-7ca0b77f4e19
How Is Bartholin Cyst Diagnosed? Diagnosis The doctor will first ask about your medical history and do a pelvic exam.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629716e227c-b2ce-4291-a4ee-3e3d684ae4bc Expect to be asked questions like these:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ed755484-5b80-495d-baea-711e2834b490 Have you ever had a Bartholin cyst before? Have you ever been or recently diagnosed with an STI? How long have you had symptoms? Do you feel pain or tenderness while walking, sitting, standing, or having sex? Is there any drainage from the cyst? Are you postmenopausal ? There’s a very small possibility that the growth could be cancer in postmenopausal women. The provider may take a sample of fluid from the vagina to test for STIs if they suspect one.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629bfdd8321-020b-4069-9c52-524d88a847e3 For women who are postmenopausal or older than 40, the doctor might also perform a biopsy (remove a small piece of tissue from the cyst to send to a laboratory for examination).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762981ed90b1-320c-432f-818c-b8c22d843802 The biopsy sample will be checked for a rare type of cancer called Bartholin’s gland cancer.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762927ea3c54-9f75-4d53-b1d8-42d9c49d765a
Treatment and Medication Options for Bartholin Cysts Treatment A small Bartholin cyst that isn’t causing symptoms and isn’t infected doesn’t need treatment.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629bc66b5d2-5e09-4e0e-a5f8-55a3ed0b2b8a It should eventually drain on its own. Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) will help relieve discomfort from the cyst.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762912918d6d-7a50-4d46-8495-a177676f8b17 Medication Options Antibiotics may be prescribed when:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f7ef9938-2834-4343-9952-cd2a25cfc0a3 The cyst comes back or is likely to come back. Incision and drainage doesn’t work. You have a fever or other symptoms of an infection. Your doctor thinks you might have sepsis or an STI. Surgery A large or infected cyst may need one or more of these procedures to treat it. Needle Aspiration The doctor places a thin needle into the cyst and drains it.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f17686ae-1e9b-4724-9dfc-d0da7401affe Needle aspiration may be a good first treatment for Bartholin cysts because it’s easy and minimally invasive. But it has a high rate of recurrence, meaning that you’re likely to get more cysts in the future after having this procedure.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976294e040085-bcc4-4a63-8245-6d5a4f3fdfe8 Incision and Drainage After the area has been numbed, the surgeon makes a small incision in the cyst and lets it drain.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629dcc4ec86-c577-490b-8ec8-dc8e56234296 At the same time, the doctor may take a biopsy and remove fluid to be sent to a lab and tested. Like needle aspiration, this procedure has a high recurrence rate. Word Catheter Treatment (Fistulization) In this type of drainage procedure, the surgeon places a thin tube called a Word catheter, which has a small, inflatable balloon on the end, into the cyst opening.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629798de922-8110-4130-a4d3-91db828a1e1e They fill the balloon with a little bit of salt water to expand the cyst. The opening is partly closed with stitches to hold the balloon catheter in place while the cyst drains and the wound heals. Fistulization can also be done with a Jacobi ring.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293da0e0f4-884e-4d40-ac59-7a1cc7f519c1 The doctor makes two small openings in the cyst and allows it to drain. Then they pass a rubber catheter into one opening and out the other. The ends of the tube are tied together with silk thread to form a ring shape. That ring remains in place to prevent the cyst from forming again. Marsupialization This surgery is done when Bartholin cysts keep coming back.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299bcc9c15-4c54-4e33-9524-d30589babb51 The doctor makes a small incision to drain the cyst, and then puts absorbable stitches on either side to create a permanent opening. A catheter may stay in the incision for a few days to help the cyst fully drain. It takes about two weeks for the incision to heal. Silver Nitrate Gland Ablation The surgeon makes a cut into the skin around the cyst and allows it to drain.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762995990011-311d-4c36-a56b-61306a02db6b Then they insert silver nitrate into the hole. Silver nitrate is a chemical that burns wounds or blood vessels to prevent infection and stop bleeding. After a few days, the cyst and silver nitrate will fall out on their own or be removed. Carbon Dioxide Laser Vaporization In this procedure, the doctor uses a carbon dioxide laser to create a hole to drain the cyst.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976298949e312-57e3-47b9-aed9-d1de6df1e660 Carbon dioxide lasers remove only small slivers of tissue to minimize damage to surrounding areas. Surgery to Remove the Bartholin Gland This procedure may be done if the cyst keeps returning. It’s usually done in a hospital under general anesthesia.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b4904814-f27f-4b6e-a401-a09249deffea You may need to stay in the hospital for a couple of days afterward. Complementary and Integrative Therapies You may be able to drain the cyst using warm baths or compresses. These can also help ease the pain. Sitz baths: Sit in a few inches of warm water for 10 to 20 minutes a few times a day to drain a small cyst that’s infected.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f07e90a4-2db0-4659-a58c-07c32c6579af Warm compresses: Hold a washcloth soaked in warm water against the cyst to relieve pain.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629bd68d177-98f6-499f-9c0e-9569e91cc3ff
Prevention of Bartholin Cyst Prevention Most Bartholin cysts aren’t preventable because their cause isn’t known.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762932fd5005-9054-401c-a4bc-5a888a714cbe But it’s possible to prevent STIs, which are a risk factor for cysts, by using condoms every time you have sex. These other tips could also help prevent cysts and abscesses.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d8fe0cf1-2cc7-44e8-8d30-e5b1f5ef5ae2 Don’t wear tight-fitting underwear or clothes. Practice good hygiene and keep the vagina clean. Wash the vagina with warm water only — no harsh soaps. Don’t use scented products in or around the vagina. Wipe from front to back to help prevent E. coli and other infections.
Bartholin Cyst Prognosis Prognosis and Outlook Bartholin cysts often drain and heal on their own.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295b10d9f9-3157-43dc-94ec-001e3d0ece44 Some burst open and then heal. How long these cysts last depends on their size and whether they are infected. Most heal fully within a few weeks. Sometimes Bartholin cysts come back, and they can return more than once.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c0663a8a-3ed4-4484-a88f-d3db1cfb15b9 Recurrence rates are higher after needle aspiration and incision and drainage than after fistulization, marsupialization, and silver nitrate sclerotherapy. If you keep getting Bartholin cysts, your doctor will likely switch you to a different type of treatment.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762921e4a3a2-aba1-451a-a152-006f96f3ae46
Complications of Bartholin Cyst Complications Most Bartholin cysts don’t cause any serious problems, but some keep coming back and need to be retreated.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297ed44915-1e17-4768-aa46-3ed464525119 If the fluid inside gets infected and forms an abscess, the cyst may cause pain while walking or sitting. Very rarely, a Bartholin cyst can be a sign of Bartholin gland carcinoma, a type of vulvar cancer.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629af238e85-45a4-4bc8-b361-bdb9ee8bcb4b The doctor may remove a sample of cells to check them for cancer.
How Many People Have Bartholin Cysts? Research and Statistics About 2 percent of people who were assigned female at birth (AFAB) will visit a doctor for a Bartholin cyst at some point in their lifetime.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762943531eaf-984d-433d-aa70-09ab3574be45 These cysts most often appear during the childbearing years (twenties to forties).
Related Conditions to Bartholin Cysts Related Conditions Bartholin cysts are linked to infections like E. coli , and to STIs like gonorrhea and chlamydia .e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a3490380-76c3-4df1-82c0-49067b9a3972 Rarely, these cysts are a sign of Bartholin gland carcinoma, a very uncommon type of vulvar cancer.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762910be2f04-c802-4c49-8d6c-38cd41cfe69c
The Takeaway A Bartholin cyst is a fluid-filled sac that forms in the opening of the vagina. Only about 2 percent of women will see their gynecologist or other healthcare provider for this type of cyst during their lifetime. Many Bartholin cysts drain and heal on their own. If a cyst doesn’t go away within a few weeks, it can be surgically drained with a catheter placed inside to prevent it from coming back.
Resources We Trust Cleveland Clinic: Bartholin CystMayo Clinic: Bartholin’s CystMedlinePlus: Bartholin Cyst or AbscessCenters for Disease Control and Prevention: STI Treatment GuidelinesThe Royal Woman’s Hospital: How can I stay healthy down there?
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