Live Life Team
The small pair of glands located inside the vaginal orifice are responsible for lubrication during intercourse. They are known as Bartholin’s glands. There are tiny tubes and ducts in these glands. When these ducts are blocked, it results in accumulation of mucus in the glands, forming a cyst. If infection affects the cyst, it becomes an abscess and causes severe pain.
What are the causes of Bartholin’s Cyst
The causes for Bartholin’s cyst are yet unknown. There is a belief that sexually transmitted infection like gonorrhoea or Chlamydia can cause this condition some times. However, any other symptoms such as vaginal discharge, pain or itching should have immediate medical attention. A visit to Genito-Urinary Medicine clinic will also do. The persons suffering from sexually transmitted infection should start the treatment as soon as possible. You should abstain from sexual activities if you have STI, until the time it is treated completely.
What are the symptoms of Bartholin’s cyst
Mostly it does not have any symptoms. At times, a routine medical check up and tests on smear sample could reveal this. It causes discomfort while walking or during intercourse, if the cyst is very large. It may sometimes affect the outer portion around the opening of the vagina, which is loabia majora in medical terms. Generally, it is noticeable on one side of the vagina as it looks swollen or in an unusually bigger form. If the cyst has developed into an abscess, it appears reddish and has tenderness. It causes much pain and sometimes associates with a fever.
How it is diagnosed
You cannot treat it at home. The doctor needs to do a physical examination for signs and symptoms of the cyst. If Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) is a suspect, the doctor may order further tests to know about the type of the sexually transmitted infection. Some times the doctor advises a biopsy test if you are middle-aged. The sample taken through the biopsy is examined if the patient is over 40 years, to rule out cancer in the vulva. Sometimes, this cancer appears in the form of a cyst. This is very rare.
How Bartholin’s cyst is treated
The cyst, which is small in size and without symptoms, may not require any treatment. However, it is advisable for women over forty years to have a biopsy test to rule out cancer. The cyst turning into an abscess may require treatment with antibiotics. Mere incision of the cyst may not be sufficient, as recurrence of the cyst is not ruled out. For preventing recurrence, a catheter with balloon tip is used.
The doctors use local anaesthesia for numbness. You will be conscious yet. Then they make an incision into the cyst. The cyst drains out. The catheter is put into it and inflated. For about four to six weeks this balloon remains there. Now skin can form afresh and healing could take place. After the above period, the balloon is deflated. The catheter is taken out. The hole gradually becomes small and disappears finally.
