Bartholin Gland Cyst - Treatment Overview
Most Bartholin gland cysts don't need treatment, or they go away on their own. But if you have a cyst that is causing bothersome symptoms or that may be infected, see your doctor for treatment. Your treatment options will depend on how severe your symptoms are.
Treatment for a Bartholin gland cyst that is not infected
When a Bartholin gland cyst appears, but there are no symptoms or mild symptoms, treatment includes:
- Watchful waiting. Symptoms are watched without using medical treatment. Some Bartholin cysts never get worse.
- Soaking the genital area in a warm, shallow bath ( sitz bath). This can reduce discomfort and helps the genital area to heal.
- Nonprescription pain medicine, such as ibuprofen ( Motrin, Advil) or acetaminophen ( Tylenol) to relieve discomfort.
A Bartholin gland cyst can be present for months or years without causing any symptoms.
If sexual intercourse causes symptoms, talk to your doctor.
Treatment for a ruptured Bartholin abscess
An infected Bartholin gland cyst ( abscess) that has burst open (ruptured) sometimes will heal on its own. In this case, your doctor may suggest sitz baths, nonprescription pain relievers, and watchful waiting. You may not need to take antibiotics after the cyst has ruptured.
Treatment for a Bartholin gland cyst that causes symptoms
A Bartholin cyst that is large, painful, or infected will be drained. If you have an abscess, you may take antibiotics after the procedure.
Simply draining a cyst and letting it heal shut will likely allow it to fill up again. To keep the cyst from closing and filling up again, it is usually held open for a few weeks with:
- A Word catheter, which is a small drainage tube with a small balloon on one end. The balloon is inflated inside the cyst to keep the tube in place. After the gland has healed and the tube and balloon are removed, the opening remains. This is the most common way to treat a large or infected Bartholin gland cyst.
- A small piece of gauze which keeps the cyst from closing.
- Stitches, which prevent the cyst wall from reforming a closed sac. Bartholin gland cysts only come back in about 5 to 10 out of 100 women after this procedure. 2
Less commonly, the cyst wall is damaged with a carbon dioxide laser or silver nitrate to prevent it from growing back.
Bartholin cyst treatment can be done with a local anesthetic in the doctor's office. But a painful cyst is more likely to be surgically treated using general anesthesia.
For severe Bartholin cysts and abscesses that do not get better with repeated treatment, the entire Bartholin gland and duct can be removed. This is a surgery, also known as excision. Because excision is an involved procedure that can lead to blood loss and complications, it is done in a surgery center. Excision is only used when other treatments have repeatedly failed.
What to think about
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Bartholin Gland Cyst Topics
ENABLEX is a prescription medicine used in adults to treat the following symptoms due to a condition called overactive bladder:
- · having a strong need to go to the bathroom right away (also called "urgency")
- · leaks or wetting accidents (also called "urinary incontinence")
- · having to go to the bathroom too often (also called "urinary frequency")
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
You should not take once-daily ENABLEX if you have certain types of stomach problems, glaucoma, or have trouble emptying your bladder. Side effects of ENBLEX include blurred vision, and more commonly dry mouth, constipation, indigestion, and abdominal pain. Use caution when doing certain activities until you know how ENBALEX affects you.
VIVELLE-DOT (estradiol transdermal system) IS AVAILABLE BY PRESCRIPTION ONLY.
INDICATION
Vivelle-Dot is used after menopause to: reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; treat moderate to severe dryness, itching and burning in or around the vagina; help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones); and treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogens naturally. Vivelle-Dot 0.025 mg/day is only used to prevent osteoporosis from menopause. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to treat your dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina or if you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogens might be better for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus (womb). Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb).
Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia (decline in memory and thinking skills).
Vivelle-Dot should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past (for example, in the past year); currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be, or know that you are, pregnant.
The most common side effects that may occur with Vivelle-Dot are headache, breast tenderness, and back pain.
You and your healthcare professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with Vivelle-Dot.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information for Vivelle-Dot.
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