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Bartholin's cyst and abscess

Cystis / abscessus glandulae vestibularis majoris · Cysta a absces Bartholiniho žlázy

female only

What it is

A blocked lubricating gland at the vaginal entrance fills with fluid, and may become a painful abscess.

Symptoms & signs

  • Painless lump at one side of the vaginal opening
  • painful hot swelling if infected
  • pain on walking, sitting or during sex
  • fever

🚩 Get help if…

  • call 112 / 911 now Fever with a fast-spreading red, hot swelling
  • see a doctor soon Painful, hot lump at the vaginal entrance
  • see a doctor soon A lump that keeps coming back
  • see a doctor soon A new lump after 40, or one that is hard or fixed

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • Warm sitz baths for small cysts
  • Word catheter drainage of an abscess
  • marsupialisation for recurrent cysts
  • antibiotics for cellulitis or an STI
  • biopsy after 40

Natural & lifestyle

  • Sitz baths 3–4 times a day
  • loose cotton underwear
  • safe sex

Emerging & experimental

  • Silver nitrate or alcohol sclerotherapy
  • CO2 laser

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Tea tree oil sitz baths — antiseptic in the lab; untested here early / small studies
  • Apple cider vinegar or turmeric paste — anecdotal; can irritate vulval skin anecdotal / traditional

ICD codes