Bartholin's, vulval and perineal abscesses

Bartholin Gland Cyst Mimicking Rectocele: Common Pathology at an Uncommon Location

Vaginal cysts are often encountered in gynaecological outpatient settings. These are usually asymptomatic in their initial course but become symptomatic when their size increases or they get infected. While evaluating such cases, clinical examination plays a vital role in ruling out their differential diagnoses. Imaging studies can complement clinical findings. However, in some instances, the nature of vaginal cysts may not be determined preoperatively until histopathology examination reveals it. We report here a rare case of a posterior vaginal wall cyst that presented as a mass protruding through the vagina. The clinical dilemma was the characterization of the cyst, owing to its huge size and rare location. The cyst was managed surgically by excision, and to our surprise, histopathological examination revealed it as a Bartholin gland cyst in the posterior vaginal wall, rare in its location.

Hemorrhagic Bartholin's cyst in a woman using anti-platelet medication: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

We report the case of a postmenopausal female with a hemorrhagic Bartholin's cyst who has been using an antiplatelet medication.

CASE SUMMARY

A postmenopausal woman, 84 years of age, had a medical history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (three-vessel disease), chronic kidney disease (stage 3), and dementia. The patient has been taking clopidogrel, an antiplatelet medication, for several years. She presented at our outpatient clinic complaining of painful swelling over her left vulva for several days. A Bartholin's cyst over the left vulva was suspected, and the patient underwent marsupialization under local anesthesia, which was well-tolerated. During the incision procedure, bright-red blood with some blood clots was discharged, and a hemorrhagic Bartholin's cyst was observed. There was no recurrence of the hemorrhagic Bartholin's cyst during the 6-mo subsequent follow-up period.

CONCLUSION

Hemorrhagic Bartholin's cysts rarely occur. We report the case of a postmenopausal female with a hemorrhagic Bartholin's cyst who had been on antiplatelets and was successfully treated with marsupialization. No recurrence was noted during the 6-mo follow-up period. Older females taking antiplatelets should be cautious of bleeding when presenting with a Bartholin's cyst.

Marsupialization vs word catheter in the treatment of Bartolin cyst or abscess: retrospective cohort study

Objective:

Bartholin cysts or abscesses are observed in approximately 2% of women, usually in their reproductive years. Although none of the treatments appear to be superior, there are several options including drainage with basic incision, Word catheter application, marsupialization, silver nitrate application, and excision. The primary outcome in this study was to evaluate the recurrence rates in patients who underwent marsupialization or Word catheter for the treatment of Bartholin cyst or abscesses, and the secondary outcome was to evaluate the rates of patient satisfaction.

Material and Methods:

A total of 196 patients who underwent either Word catheterization or marsupialization for the treatment of Bartholin cyst or abscesses between 2014 and 2017 were included in this retrospective cohort study. The size and location of the cyst/abscess, the operation duration, and the recurrence was recorded. A 5-point visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess patient satisfaction and whether patients would recommend thier treatment to others.

Results:

Recurrence was observed in 11 (8.3%) patients in the marsupialization group, and 12 (18.8%) patients in the Word catheter group (p=0.034). Median (range) VAS scores in the marsupialization group were better than the Word catheter group [4 (1-5) vs 3 (1-5); p<0.001].

Conclusion:

Higher recurrence rate and dissatisfaction level were found in the Word catheter group. The only advantage of using Word catheter was its short operation time. These results appear to show that marsupialization should be the first-line treatment for Bartholin cysts and abscesses. However, the small number of cases and the retrospective nature of this study mean that larger, prospective studies are required to support this hypothesis.

Bartholin Gland Abscess Diagnosis and Office Management

While Bartholin gland abscesses are less commonly seen outpatient pathology, prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential to preventing serious complications such as sepsis and rectovaginal fistula. Owing to an unacceptably high recurrence rate, simple incision and drainage is insufficient for primary treatment; preferably, placement of a Word catheter or Jacobi ring device to reepithelize the duct may be done under local anesthesia in an outpatient clinic. Destruction of the gland through silver nitrate application or alcohol sclerotherapy is an alternative. Marsupialization is often reserved for recurrent cases, although can be offered as primary management in some situations.

Bartholin’s Abscess with Bacterial Vaginosis Coinfection Successfully Treated with a Modified Word Catheter and Combined Antibiotics

BACKGROUND: Bartholin’s abscess is an infection of the Bartholin gland that often occurs in women of childbearing age. The prevalence of Bartholin’s abscess is 2% in the female population worldwide. Patients often complain dyspareunia with a high recurrence rate. Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) is a syndrome of changes in the vaginal ecosystem that occurs spontaneously in sexually active women. BV can contribute to the development of a Bartholin’s gland abscess. CASE REPORT: A 30-year-old woman came with the chief complaint of a 5 cm × 5 cm erythematous, tender, and mobile mass on the right side of the labia majora. In addition, the patient also experienced recurrent vaginal discharge. The patient was diagnosed with Bartholin’s abscess with BV coinfection that was successfully treated with a modified word catheter and combination of antibiotics that showed no recurrence. CONCLUSION: Combination of modified word catheter and antibiotics can be a simple yet effective way in treating Bartholin’s abscess.

Solitary Vulvar Involvement of Ovarian Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Mimicking Bartholin's Abscess on 18F-FDG PET/CT

ABSTRACT

A 49-year-old woman was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the left ovary. Two months after the hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy operation, the patient was referred to 18F-FDG PET/CT for staging. A mass lesion measuring 2.8 × 3 cm with intense 18F-FDG uptake was observed at right labium majus, which could be considered as a Bartholin's cyst or abscess. The lesion was excised, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma involvement of vulva was revealed by histopathology.

Female Nonobstetric Genitourinary Emergencies

The emergency medicine provider sees a broad range of pathology involving the female genitourinary system on a daily basis. Must-not-miss diagnoses include pelvic inflammatory disease and ovarian torsion, because these diagnoses can have severe complications and affect future fertility. Although most patients with abnormal uterine bleeding are hemodynamically stable, it can present as a life-threatening emergency and providers should be adept managing severe hemorrhage. Bartholin gland cysts are common complaints that often require procedural intervention. This article discusses these diagnoses and appropriate evaluation and management in the emergency department.

[Antibiotics in first-line in case of bartholinitis: Retrospective Study of 33 Cases]

OBJECTIVES

Acute Bartholinitis is a common pathology affecting nearly 2% of women in their lifetime. Many treatments are used, although their effectiveness is not demonstrated in the literature. The main objective was to evaluate the success rate of first-line antibiotic therapy. The secondary objective was to identify factors associated with successful treatment.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective unicentric study between January 2014 and June 2018 at the University Hospital Center of Nancy. Inclusion criteria were the presence of acute bartholinitis treated with first-line antibiotic therapy. Exclusion criteria were patients lost to follow-up after initiation of treatment. The primary endpoint was the absence of surgical treatment within 30 days of initiation of antibiotic therapy. Factors associated with successful medical treatment were sought.

RESULTS

Thirty-three patients were included. The success rate of medical treatment was 48.5% at 30 days. In the case of symptoms that had been evolving for less than 3 days, the success of medical treatment was more frequent (75% vs. 35.3%, P=0.02). Medical treatment was more effective in lesions of less than 2cm (68.7% vs. 23.5%, P=0.01). After adjustment, the only factor associated with successful medical treatment was lesion size≤2cm [ORa=5.31 (1.05-26.81)].

CONCLUSION

First-line antibiotic therapy for acute bartholinitis seems effective but should be targeted according to certain eligibility criteria.

A Report of Two Cases of "Giant Bartholin Gland Cysts" Successfully Treated by Excision with Review of Literature

Bartholin's gland cysts are one of the common vulval masses that may start as asymptomatic cysts but if left untreated, may become large and infected requiring medical attention. We are presenting two interesting and rare cases of giant Bartholin cyst and their treatment in this case report. Two female patients of perimenopausal age presented with giant vulval cysts to the outpatient department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. They reached a size of 10 cm and 20 cm diameter respectively, presenting with some diagnostic and later reconstruction of the labia majus. MRI pelvis provided good information regarding the size, shape and extent of the cyst, which was very useful during surgery. Both these cases were successfully treated by excision of the cyst and histopathological examination after complete excision. One of the cases presented as dumb-bell shaped swelling with large cyst superiorly and smaller cyst extending into the buttock connected by narrow neck and showed cross fluctuation. This type of dumb-bell shaped presentation of Bartholin's cyst is rather unusual and has not been reported in the available literature.

Skin diseases of the vulva: Infectious diseases

A multitude of infectious diseases of viral (genital herpes, herpes zoster, genital warts and molluscum contagiosum), bacterial (syphilis, chancroid, lymphogranuloma venereum, donovanosis, erysipelas, cellulitis and necrotising fasciitis, folliculitis, impetigo, bartholin gland abscess, trichomycosis and erythrasma), fungal (candidiasis and dermatophytosis) and parasitic (pediculosis pubis) origin may affect the vulvar area. Herein, we review the infections and their skin manifestations in the vulvar area.

Treatment of Bartholin gland cyst with CO2laser

Objective

To describe the results of treatment with CO₂ laser for Bartholin gland cysts.

Methods

Thirty-one women with Bartholin gland cysts were treated with CO₂ laser at an outpatient´s setting. Skin incision was performed with focused laser beam, the capsule was opened to drain mucoid content, followed by internal vaporization of impaired capsule.

Results

There were no complications. Five patients had recurrence of the cyst and were submitted to a second and successful session.

Conclusion

CO₂ laser surgery was effective to treat Bartholin gland cysts with minimal or no complications, and can be performed at an outpatient´s setting.

Complicated rectovaginal fistula secondary to Bartholin's cyst infection

Rectovaginal fistula formation secondary to Bartholin's cyst is a very rare complication, and to date only three cases were reported in the literature. We report a case of a 32-year-old woman who suffered recurrent episodes of Bartholin's cyst infection with subsequent abscess formation that resulted in rectovaginal fistula formation. We treated her initially with transperineal repair; however, the fistulous tract recurred a month later. A laparoscopic colostomy and transperineal repair using biological graft was then performed, with excellent results. The patient underwent reversal of colostomy after 2 months, and remained asymptomatic upon follow-up 12 months later.

Incidental bartholin gland cysts identified on pelvic magnetic resonance imaging

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of Bartholin gland cysts in asymptomatic women serving as control participants who underwent pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as part of research studies. The secondary aim was to investigate potential demographic characteristics associated with Bartholin gland cysts.

METHODS

Pelvic MRIs from 430 control participants enrolled in five research projects were evaluated. All images were evaluated by at least two authors. The presence, laterality, and size of Bartholin gland cysts were recorded. Demographic information for each participant was obtained at the time of enrollment in the respective parent study.

RESULTS

Approximately 3% of the participants had visible Bartholin gland cysts on MRI scans. Fifty percent of the cysts were identified on the right side, 42.9% were seen on the left side, and 7.1% were bilateral. The cysts were, on average, 1.3×1.2×1.3 cm with dimensions ranging from 0.5 to 2.7 cm. There were no demographic differences between women with and without visible Bartholin gland cysts.

CONCLUSION

Bartholin gland cysts occur in 3% of adult women. The cysts affect women of broad ranges of age and parity. Women with visible Bartholin gland cysts are demographically similar to women without cysts on pelvic imaging.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

II.