What are the treatment options for Bartholin abscesses and cysts?

Answer

Different techniques exist for the treatment of Bartholin cysts and abscesses, but there has been no proven superiority between surgical and conservative management strategies.^[5]The most commonly used approaches are: (1) fistulization using a Word catheter and (2) marsupialization.^[6]

Other techniques include: (1) silver nitrate gland ablation; (2) cyst or abscess fenestration, ablation, or excision using carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser; (3) needle aspiration with or without alcohol sclerotherapy; (4) gland excision; and (5) incision and drainage followed by primary suture closure.^{[7, 8, 9]}

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Media Gallery

Word catheter.
Word catheter with inflated balloon.
Bartholin abscess.
Skin preparation.
Mucosal infiltration with lidocaine.
Mucosal infiltration with lidocaine.
Needle aspiration.
Needle aspiration.
Incision of Bartholin abscess.
Incision of Bartholin abscess.
Normal saline (0.9% NaCl).
Drainage of a Bartholin abscess.
Insertion of a Word catheter.
Inflation of a Word catheter.
Insertion and inflation of a Word catheter.
Word catheter in place.

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Author

Gil Z Shlamovitz, MD, FACEP Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California; Chief Medical Information Officer, Keck Medicine of USC

Gil Z Shlamovitz, MD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Mary L Windle, PharmD Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Luis M Lovato, MD Associate Clinical Professor, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine; Director of Critical Care, Department of Emergency Medicine, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center

Luis M Lovato, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Emergency Physicians, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Christine Isaacs, MD Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division Head, General Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Director of Midwifery Services, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine

Christine Isaacs, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Additional Contributors

Andrew K Chang, MD, MS Vincent P Verdile, MD, Endowed Chair in Emergency Medicine, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Vice Chair of Research and Academic Affairs, Albany Medical College; Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center

Andrew K Chang, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Academy of Neurology, American Academy of Pain Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Geriatrics Society, American Pain Society, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Acknowledgements

The authors and editors of Medscape Reference gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Lars Grimm with the literature review and referencing for this article.

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