eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Genitourinary

Bartholin Gland Diseases: Differential Diagnoses & Workup

Author: Jennifer Coles Schecter, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MA
Coauthor(s): Antonia Quinn, DO, Assistant Professor, Assistant Residency Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center/Kings County Hospital Center; Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Kings County Hospital Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Dec 2, 2009

Differential Diagnoses

Bartholin gland malignancy
Skene duct cyst
Chancroid
Syphilis
Endometriosis
Vaginitis
Gartner duct cyst
Vestibular mucous cysts
Gonorrhea
Vulvar malignancy
Hematoma
Warts, Genital
Hidradenoma
Lipoma
Sebaceous cysts

Workup

Laboratory Studies

  • In otherwise healthy, afebrile adults, blood tests are not necessary to evaluate an uncomplicated abscess or cyst.
  • Sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing should be available at the request of the patient; however, Bartholin abscesses are very rarely caused by sexually transmitted pathogens.
  • Cultures are rarely useful in treatment of abscess; furthermore, routine culturing of drained fluid is not recommended.

Procedures

The following features are suggestive of Bartholin gland malignancy. Patients who present with any of these features should be referred to a gynecologist for biopsy:

  • Age older than 40 years
  • Chronic or gradually progressive, painless mass
  • Solid, nonfluctuant, painless mass
  • Prior history of labial malignancy

More on Bartholin Gland Diseases

Overview: Bartholin Gland Diseases
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Bartholin Gland Diseases
Treatment & Medication: Bartholin Gland Diseases
Follow-up: Bartholin Gland Diseases
Multimedia: Bartholin Gland Diseases
References

References

  1. Wechter ME, Wu JM, Marzano D, Haefner H. Management of Bartholin duct cysts and abscesses: a systematic review. Obstet Gynecol Surv. Jun 2009;64(6):395-404. [Medline].

  2. Kushnir VA, Mosquera C. Novel technique for management of Bartholin gland cysts and abscesses. J Emerg Med. May 2009;36(4):388-90. [Medline].

  3. de Góis Speck NM, Belfort PN, Mendes P, Kang HJ, Ribalta JC. Carbon dioxide laser treatment of Bartholin's gland cyst. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2007;34(1):50-1. [Medline].

  4. Benedetti Panici P, Manci N, Bellati F, Di Donato V, Marchetti C, Calcagno M, et al. CO2 laser therapy of the Bartholin's gland cyst: surgical data and functional short- and long-term results. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. May-Jun 2007;14(3):348-51. [Medline].

  5. Fambrini M, Penna C, Pieralli A, Fallani MG, Andersson KL, Lozza V, et al. Carbon-dioxide laser vaporization of the Bartholin gland cyst: a retrospective analysis on 200 cases. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. May-Jun 2008;15(3):327-31. [Medline].

  6. Aghajanian A, Bernstein L, Grimes DA. Bartholin's duct abscess and cyst: a case-control study. South Med J. Jan 1994;87(1):26-9. [Medline].

  7. Eppel W, Frigo P, Worda C, Bettelheim D. Ultrasound imaging of Bartholin's cysts. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2000;49(3):179-82. [Medline].

  8. Goldberg JE. Simplified treatment for disease of Bartholin's gland. Obstet Gynecol. Jan 1970;35(1):109-10. [Medline].

  9. Heah J. Methods of treatment for cysts and abscesses of Bartholin's gland. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. Apr 1988;95(4):321-2. [Medline].

  10. Kdous M, Hachicha R, Iraqui Y, Jacob D, Piquet PM, Truc JB. [Necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum secondary to a surgical treatment of Bartholin's gland abscess]. Gynecol Obstet Fertil. Nov 2005;33(11):887-90. [Medline].

  11. Tanaka K, Mikamo H, Ninomiya M, Tamaya T, Izumi K, Ito K, et al. Microbiology of Bartholin's gland abscess in Japan. J Clin Microbiol. Aug 2005;43(8):4258-61. [Medline].

  12. Wheelock JB, Goplerud DR, Dunn LJ, Oates JF 3rd. Primary carcinoma of the Bartholin gland: a report of ten cases. Obstet Gynecol. Jun 1984;63(6):820-4. [Medline].

  13. Woida FM, Ribeiro-Silva A. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the Bartholin gland: an overview. Arch Pathol Lab Med. May 2007;131(5):796-8. [Medline].

  14. Wydra D, Klasa-Mazurkiewicz D, Emerich J, Milczek T. The problem of accurate initial diagnosis of Bartholin's gland carcinoma resulting in delayed treatment and aggressive course of the disease. Int J Gynecol Cancer. May-Jun 2006;16(3):1469-72. [Medline].

Further Reading

Keywords

Bartholin gland cyst, Bartholin gland swelling, Bartholin gland abscess, Bartholin's gland, Bartholin's cyst, Bartholin cyst, Bartholin abscess, Bartholin's abscess, bartholinitis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, N gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, C trachomatis, Bartholin gland drainage

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Jennifer Coles Schecter, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MA
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Antonia Quinn, DO, Assistant Professor, Assistant Residency Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center/Kings County Hospital Center; Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Kings County Hospital Center
Antonia Quinn, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Joseph J Sachter, MD, FACEP, Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center
Joseph J Sachter, MD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Physician Executives, American Medical Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

Richard H Sinert, DO, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Research Director, State University of New York College of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Kings County Hospital Center
Richard H Sinert, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

John D Halamka, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Erik D Schraga, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mills-Peninsula Emergency Medical Associates; Consulting Staff, Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara Medical Center
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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