eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Genitourinary

Bartholin Gland Diseases: Follow-up

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

Follow-up

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.

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.

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%.

Patient Education

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to consider the possibility of malignancy as an alternative cause of the mass
  • Failure to provide a gynecologic consultation to any patient with a clinical presentation consistent with malignancy
 
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.



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
[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

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].

[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

Further Reading

[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

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

[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

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.

 
 
HONcode

We subscribe to the
HONcode principles of the
Health On the Net Foundation

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright© 1994- by Medscape.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

DISCLAIMER: The content of this Website is not influenced by sponsors. The site is designed primarily for use by qualified physicians and other medical professionals. The information contained herein should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only. In no way should it be considered as offering medical advice. Please check with a physician if you suspect you are ill.