What is a Bartholin's cyst?

A Bartholin’s cyst, or Bartholin’s duct cyst, occurs when the duct of the Bartholin’s gland is blocked, resulting in the development of a cyst. A cyst is a closed sac-like structure full of liquid, which can be semisolid or include gas.
A bacterial infection may cause the blockage and subsequent cyst.

Who is at risk for Bartholin's cyst?

A woman is more likely to have a Bartholin’s gland cyst when she is:

• young and sexually active
• has not yet become pregnant
• has just had one pregnancy

Cysts can range in size from that of a lentil to a golf ball.

What are the symptoms of Bartholin's cyst?

You may not have any, unless the cyst is large or becomes infected. If infection sets in (doctors call this an “abscess”), you’ll likely have extreme pain at the site of the cyst. Sex -- and even walking -- may hurt. If the cyst is large, it can make one side of your labia majora (the large folds of skin on the outside of your vagina) hang lower than the other. You might also have fever and an unusual vaginal discharge.

This will involve:

• inserting a catheter into the cyst
• inflating the catheter to fix it in place
• Leaving the catheter for 2 to 4 weeks, to allow the fluid to drain by the catheter, and a normal opening to form.

Other treatments include:

• Marsupialization
• Carbon dioxide laser
• Needle aspiration
• Gland excision