Bartholin Gland Diseases Follow-up

  • Author: Jennifer Coles Schecter, MD; Chief Editor: Erik D Schraga, MD   more...
 
Updated: Dec 6, 2010
 

Further Outpatient Care

Most patients with Bartholin gland disease are discharged home.

Patients with Bartholin cyst or abscess should be advised to take warm sitz baths 3 times per day for several days.

Patients with an abscess often feel immediate pain relief after the drainage procedure; however, they may require oral analgesia for several days after the procedure.

All patients with a Bartholin gland mass should receive close gynecologic follow-up.

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Complications

The most common complication of treatment of Bartholin abscess is recurrence.

Rare case reports exist of necrotizing fasciitis after abscess drainage.

A theoretical risk exists for development of toxic shock syndrome with packing.

Nonhealing wounds may occur.

Bleeding, especially in patients with a coagulopathy, may be a complication.

Cosmetic scarring may result.

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Prognosis

If abscesses are properly drained and reclosure is prevented, most abscesses have a good outcome.

Recurrence rates are generally reported to be less than 20%.

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Patient Education

For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Skin, Hair, and Nails Center and Women's Health Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education article Bartholin Cyst.

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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.

Specialty Editor Board

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.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

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.

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  Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mills-Peninsula Emergency Medical Associates

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous author, Howard A Blumstein, MD, to the development and writing of this article.

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the medical review of this article by Tyson Pillow, MD.

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].

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  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].

 
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Word catheter.
Word catheter with inflated balloon.
Bartholin abscess.
 
 
 
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