Bartholin’s abscess

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Female reproductive anatomy

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Bartholin’s abscess

Alternative Names:

Abscess - Bartholin's; Infected Bartholin's gland

Treatment:

Soaking in warm water 4 times a day for several days usually provides some relief. This may help localize infection and cause the abscess to open and drain on its own. However, this does not always solve the problem, because the site of rupture is usually very small and closes quickly, before drainage is complete.

Surgical incision, which results in complete drainage of the abscess, provides the greatest relief and the fastest recovery. This procedure can be done under local anesthesia in a doctor's office. Placement of an iodoform (antiseptic) gauze wick or a small rubber catheter allows the abscess to continue draining while healing.

Antibiotics may be prescribed to combat the infection, but they are not usually needed if the abscess is drained properly.

Women who have recurrent abscesses may consider a procedure called marsupialization. In this procedure, a small, permanent opening is surgically created to help the gland drain.

Your health care provider may recommend that the glands be removed if abscesses recur.

Expectations (prognosis):

The chance of full recovery is excellent. About 10% of the time, abscesses recur.

It is important to treat gonorrhea or any other infection that causes abscesses.

Complications:

A chronic Bartholin's duct cyst may develop if the purulent fluid of the abscess is walled-off from the surrounding tissue. In women over the age of 40, an enlarged Bartholin's gland may signal an underlying tumor in the gland, although this is very rare.

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if a painful, swollen lump is noted on the labia near the vaginal opening and does not improve with 2-3 days of home treatment. Call if pain is severe and interferes with normal activity.

Call your health care provider if you develop a fever higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Review Date: 7/19/2004
Reviewed By: Peter Chen, M.D., Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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