Bartholin abscesses and cysts account for 2% of all gynecological visits per year.

[1]
The
Bartholin glands are a pair of pea-sized, vulvovaginal, ucous-secreting vestibular
glands that are located in the labia inora in the !- and "-o#cloc$ positions, beneath the
bulbospongiosus uscle. % Bartholin cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops in one of the
Bartholin glands or ducts &hen the duct that drains the fluid fro the gland becoes
bloc$ed and causes the duct and gland to s&ell. % Bartholin gland abscess develops
either &hen a Bartholin cyst becoes infected or &hen the Bartholin gland itself becoes
infected.
[2]
'or ore inforation on disorders of the Bartholin gland, please see
(edscape )eference articles Bartholin *land +iseases and Benign ,ulvar -esions.
.hile epiric antibiotic therapy is not indicated in the iunocopetent patient &ho
presents &ith Bartholin gland abscess &ithout cellulitis, it is helpful to $no& that a
substantial proportion of patients &ith Bartholin gland abscess are culture positive, &ith
Escherichia coli being the single ost coon pathogen.
[/]
+ifferent techni0ues e1ist for the treatent of Bartholin cysts and abscesses. These
include 213 silver nitrate gland ablation4 223 cyst or abscess fenestration, ablation, or
e1cision using carbon dio1ide 256
2
3 laser4 2/3 arsupialization4 2!3 needle aspiration
&ith or &ithout alcohol sclerotherapy4 273 fistulization using a .ord catheter, 'oley
catheter, or 8acobi ring4 293 gland e1cision4 and 2:3 incision and drainage follo&ed by
priary suture closure.
[!, 7, 9]
;o recurrence after arsupialization has been reported in
available studies. )ecurrence after other treatents has varied and &as ost coon
after aspiration alone 2appro1iately /"%3. <ealing generally occurred in 2 &ee$s or
less.
.hile a revie& of the literature failed to identify a best treatent approach for the first
occurrence of a syptoatic Bartholin cyst or abscess, the author recoends the use of
the .ord catheter as an initial approach.
[9, :, "]
=f a .ord catheter is not available, incision
and drainage 2&ith traditional pac$ing3 ay be perfored.
>elected Bartholin cysts
+iaeter of 1 c or larger
%ny syptoatic cyst 2painful, tender, interferes &ith physical or se1ual activity3