A Bartholin's cyst forms when Bartholin's glands on both sides of the vaginal opening are blocked. What is the name of this condition?

• A. Bartholin's Cyst
• B. Bartholin's Abscess
• C. Bartholin's Polyp
• D. Bartholin's Diverticulum

Answer: (A)

A fluid-filled sac forms when a gland’s duct becomes blocked, causing the gland’s secretions to accumulate. The Bartholin’s glands are located at the vaginal opening and normally drain through ducts; when drainage is blocked, a Bartholin’s cyst develops as a noninfected swelling at that site. If infection occurs, it becomes a Bartholin’s abscess, which presents with redness, tenderness, and sometimes fever and purulent discharge. A polyp is just a mucosal growth, not a fluid-filled sac from duct blockage, and a diverticulum is an outpouching of tissue from a duct or hollow organ. So the described condition is Bartholin’s cyst.