Bartholin's cyst

(Redirected from Bartholin's abscess)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

For patient information, click here Template:DiseaseDisorder infobox

WikiDoc Resources for Bartholin's cyst

Articles

Most recent articles on Bartholin's cyst

Most cited articles on Bartholin's cyst

Review articles on Bartholin's cyst

Articles on Bartholin's cyst in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ

Media

Powerpoint slides on Bartholin's cyst

Images of Bartholin's cyst

Photos of Bartholin's cyst

Podcasts & MP3s on Bartholin's cyst

Videos on Bartholin's cyst

Evidence Based Medicine

Cochrane Collaboration on Bartholin's cyst

Bandolier on Bartholin's cyst

TRIP on Bartholin's cyst

Clinical Trials

Ongoing Trials on Bartholin's cyst at Clinical Trials.gov

Trial results on Bartholin's cyst

Clinical Trials on Bartholin's cyst at Google

Guidelines / Policies / Govt

US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Bartholin's cyst

NICE Guidance on Bartholin's cyst

NHS PRODIGY Guidance

FDA on Bartholin's cyst

CDC on Bartholin's cyst

Books

Books on Bartholin's cyst

News

Bartholin's cyst in the news

Be alerted to news on Bartholin's cyst

News trends on Bartholin's cyst

Commentary

Blogs on Bartholin's cyst

Definitions

Definitions of Bartholin's cyst

Patient Resources / Community

Patient resources on Bartholin's cyst

Discussion groups on Bartholin's cyst

Patient Handouts on Bartholin's cyst

Directions to Hospitals Treating Bartholin's cyst

Risk calculators and risk factors for Bartholin's cyst

Healthcare Provider Resources

Symptoms of Bartholin's cyst

Causes & Risk Factors for Bartholin's cyst

Diagnostic studies for Bartholin's cyst

Treatment of Bartholin's cyst

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

CME Programs on Bartholin's cyst

International

Bartholin's cyst en Espanol

Bartholin's cyst en Francais

Business

Bartholin's cyst in the Marketplace

Patents on Bartholin's cyst

Experimental / Informatics

List of terms related to Bartholin's cyst

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

A Bartholin's cyst is formed when a Bartholin's gland is blocked, causing a cyst to develop. If infection sets in, the result is a Bartholin's abscess. If the infection is severe or repeated a surgical procedure known as marsupialization may be required to stop further recurrences. Most of the time, a Bartholin's cyst is not an infection, although it can be caused by an infection. The cysts that are infected, however, are called abscesses. A cyst can grow from the size of a penny to almost the size of a whole orange but most of them can only reach the size of a golf ball. Cysts can be sexually transmitted by the germs that are contained in the cysts.

Diagnosis

MRI

  • Uniform hyperintensity on T2-weighted imaging
  • May be heterogeneous when infected.

Bartholin's cyst

Bartholin's abscess

Treatment

The treatment can depend on one or more of these factors: the size of the cyst, how painful it is, if it is infected and patient age. In some cases, a small cyst can simply be observed over time to see if it grows. In other cases, the doctor can perform a minor procedure in the office, in which a small tube, called a Word catheter, is inserted into the cyst and inflated to keep it in place. The catheter stays in place for 2 to 4 weeks, draining the fluid and causing a normal gland opening to form, after which the catheter is removed. The catheters do not generally impede normal activity, other than that sexual intercourse may be uncomfortable while the catheter is in place. Cysts may also be opened permanently, a method called marsupialization, in reference to the bag-like appearance that remains after this procedure.

The cysts are not life-threatening, but can be quite painful and can even make walking difficult. New cysts cannot absolutely be prevented from forming; however, surgical or laser removal of a cyst makes it less likely that a new one will form at the same site. However, those with a cyst are more likely than someone else to get one in the future. Some women suffer from them once every few years, while the more unlucky ones get them once a month or even more frequently. There is not presently a generally agreed-upon explanation in the medical field for the cause of these cysts, nor agreement upon what one can do to help prevent them. Many women who have marsupialization done find that the recurrences may slow, but do not actually stop, such as every few years as opposed to every few months prior to the surgery.

References

Template:WikiDoc Sources