Bartholin’s Cyst: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

It may be:

• small and painless;
• soft or firm;
• noticeable only during washing or examination;
• uncomfortable during walking or sitting;
• painful during penetration;
• swollen and severely painful if infected.

Simple examples include:

• A blocked Bartholin’s duct may form a cyst.
• A small Bartholin’s cyst may disappear without treatment.
• A painful cyst may interfere with sitting or sexual activity.
• Fever and severe swelling may suggest an abscess.
• A persistent vulvar lump should be medically assessed.

Common structures include:

a Bartholin’s cyst

• She developed a Bartholin’s cyst near the vaginal opening.
• A Bartholin’s cyst may remain painless.

the Bartholin’s cyst

• The Bartholin’s cyst became larger.
• The clinician examined the cyst for infection.

Bartholin’s + noun

• Bartholin’s gland;
• Bartholin’s duct;
• Bartholin’s cyst;
• Bartholin’s abscess;
• Bartholin’s cyst drainage.

The spelling Bartholin gland cyst, without the apostrophe, is also common in medical writing.

A cyst may form when the duct becomes blocked by:

• swelling;
• inflammation;
• thickened fluid;
• local injury;
• scar tissue;
• infection;
• an unclear cause.

The gland may continue producing fluid, which collects behind the blockage and enlarges the duct or gland area.

A Bartholin’s cyst usually appears on only one side of the vaginal opening.

A larger cyst may cause:

• a lump near the lower vaginal entrance;
• pressure or heaviness;
• discomfort while walking;
• pain while sitting;
• tenderness during sexual touch;
• pain during vaginal penetration;
• visible swelling on one side of the vulva.

The amount of pain depends on the cyst’s size, pressure, inflammation, and whether infection is present.

A Bartholin’s abscess develops when the cyst or gland becomes infected and fills with pus.

Signs of an abscess may include:

• intense or rapidly worsening pain;
• redness and warmth;
• significant swelling;
• difficulty walking or sitting;
• fever;
• feeling generally unwell;
• pain during urination or sexual activity.

A suspected abscess usually needs prompt medical assessment.

The assessment may consider:

• the location and size of the lump;
• pain and tenderness;
• redness or drainage;
• fever or other infection symptoms;
• age;
• previous cysts;
• possible sexually transmitted infections.

Testing may be recommended when infection is suspected. A new Bartholin-area lump in a person over about 40 generally deserves prompt evaluation because uncommon tumors become more relevant with age.

Possible approaches include:

• observation for a small painless cyst;
• warm sitz baths;
• pain-relieving medication;
• drainage by a healthcare professional;
• placement of a small Word catheter;
• marsupialization for recurring cysts;
• antibiotics when medically indicated;
• gland removal in selected recurrent or unusual cases.

A cyst should not be squeezed, pierced, or cut at home. Home drainage may worsen infection, cause bleeding, or injure nearby tissue.

Possible concerns include:

• pain from pressure;
• friction against the lump;
• difficulty with penetration;
• fear of worsening the swelling;
• tenderness after sex.

Sexual activity should stop if it causes significant pain. Lubrication may reduce friction, but it does not treat the underlying blockage or infection.

A person may resume sexual activity when the area is comfortable and any recommended treatment or healing period has been completed.

Every cyst becomes infected.
Some remain small, painless, and uninfected.

A cyst can safely be drained at home.
Home drainage may cause injury or spread infection.

Bartholin’s glands produce all vaginal lubrication.
They contribute only a small amount of moisture.

A painless vulvar lump never needs evaluation.
Persistent, growing, recurrent, or unusual lumps should be medically assessed.

1. A Bartholin’s cyst forms when a gland duct becomes blocked.
2. The cyst usually appears near one side of the vaginal opening.
3. A small Bartholin’s cyst may cause no symptoms.
4. A larger cyst may make sitting or walking uncomfortable.
5. Infection can turn a cyst into a painful abscess.
6. A Bartholin’s cyst should not be squeezed at home.
7. Pain during penetration may occur when the cyst is swollen.
8. A persistent vulvar lump should be examined by a healthcare professional.

A cyst may make sexual activity painful, especially when it is large or infected. Pain should not be ignored or treated as something a person must tolerate.

Understanding Bartholin’s cysts supports accurate vulvar health knowledge, safer decisions about sexual activity, and early recognition of swelling or infection that may require medical treatment.