Pelvic & vaginal health

Bartholin Cyst: The Lump Near the Opening

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A painful lump near the vaginal opening on one side is often a Bartholin cyst, a blocked gland that fills with fluid. Small cysts may need only warm soaks, while an infected abscess swells fast and often needs in-office drainage. A new lump is worth an exam to confirm the cause.

Last updated: July 2026History

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What is a Bartholin cyst?

Bartholin glands are two small glands that sit on either side of the vaginal opening, roughly at the 4 and 8 o'clock positions, and they release fluid that keeps the area moist. When the tiny duct that drains a gland gets blocked, fluid backs up and forms a Bartholin cyst, usually a soft lump about 1 to 3 cm across on one side of the opening.

A small cyst may cause no symptoms at all and is often found by chance, while larger ones can create fullness, pressure with sitting, or discomfort with walking or sex. Vulvar lumps and pelvic discomfort are common reasons women seek gynecologic care, and an exam sorts benign causes from concerning ones, according to guidance on pelvic pain 1.

Why did a lump form near the opening?

A Bartholin cyst forms when the duct that drains the gland becomes blocked, often after minor irritation, inflammation, or thickened secretions, so fluid has nowhere to go. The blockage is usually not anyone's fault and frequently has no clear trigger.

Cysts tend to sit on one side, which helps distinguish them from more spread-out swelling, and a cyst can stay small and quiet for a long time or enlarge over 2 to 5 days if the gland keeps producing fluid. Because the area is rich in vulvovaginal tissue, a clinician can usually tell a Bartholin cyst from other causes on exam; laboratory testing or imaging is only sometimes needed 2.

When is a Bartholin cyst infected?

An infected Bartholin cyst, called a Bartholin abscess, develops when bacteria seed the blocked gland, and it feels very different from a quiet cyst. Signs include a lump that swells over 1 to 2 days, becomes red and hot, throbs, and makes sitting, walking, or sex painful; fever can accompany it.

The difference matters because a simple cyst may need only warm soaks, while an abscess usually needs drainage to settle. Distinguishing an abscess from other painful conditions — such as a skin cyst, a vulvovaginal infection, or pressure some mistake for a bladder problem — is something an exam does quickly.

What are the treatment options?

Treatment depends on size, symptoms, and whether the cyst is infected. A small, painless cyst often needs nothing beyond warm sitz baths — sitting in a few inches of warm water for about 10 to 15 minutes several times a day — which can help a small blockage open on its own.

A painful cyst or an abscess is usually drained in the office, and clinicians often place a small drainage catheter or create a lasting opening so the gland can keep draining and is less likely to refill; antibiotics are added when infection is spreading, and repeated cysts sometimes lead to a procedure that keeps the duct open. Across the reproductive years these are usually one-off nuisances, but a new vulvar lump after menopause deserves closer evaluation, since tissue changes with falling estrogen and, rarely, a mass needs to be ruled out — a caution the Menopause Society echoes for postmenopausal vulvovaginal changes 3.

When a Bartholin lump needs a clinician

A new lump near the vaginal opening is worth having examined, both to confirm it is a Bartholin cyst and to plan care if it is painful or infected. A gynecologist or primary care clinician can tell a cyst from an abscess, drain it if needed, and talk through options for a cyst that keeps coming back.

A rapidly swelling, red, and painful lump, a fever, or a lump that keeps you from sitting or walking are reasons to be seen the same day, and a new or firm lump after menopause is a reason for prompt evaluation. Gale can help you prepare for that conversation.

Common questions

Many small, painless Bartholin cysts do settle on their own, sometimes helped along by warm sitz baths that encourage the blocked gland to open. Larger or infected cysts are less likely to resolve without drainage. A cyst that grows, hurts, or turns red is worth having checked.

A Bartholin cyst itself is not a sexually transmitted infection; it is a blocked gland. An abscess can involve various bacteria, and testing is sometimes done, but most cysts are not caused by an STI. A clinician can advise whether any testing makes sense for you.

Drainage is usually a small in-office procedure with numbing, in which the clinician opens the abscess and often places a tiny catheter or creates a lasting opening so the gland keeps draining. It typically brings quick relief, and warm soaks with follow-up help prevent it from refilling.

Yes, they can recur, especially after a simple drainage. When cysts return repeatedly, a clinician may suggest a procedure that keeps the duct open. Recurrent or changing lumps, particularly after menopause, are worth re-evaluating.

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When a vaginal lump needs prompt care

  • —A lump that swells quickly and becomes red, hot, and very painful is a reason to seek same-day evaluation.
  • —Fever or chills with a tender lump near the vaginal opening is a reason to seek urgent care.
  • —A new, firm, or persistent vulvar lump after menopause is a reason to be seen promptly.
  • —A lump that keeps you from sitting, walking, or urinating is a reason to seek care right away.

This article is general health education about Bartholin cysts, not medical advice. A gynecologist or primary care clinician should examine a new lump near the vaginal opening and guide treatment.

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References

  1. 1.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2020). Chronic Pelvic Pain: ACOG Practice Bulletin, Number 218. Obstetrics & Gynecology. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000003716 ✓Vulvar and pelvic lumps and pain are common reasons women seek gynecologic evaluation, and clinical examination distinguishes benign causes from those needing further workup.
  2. 2.MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) (2024). Vaginitis. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine (NIH). link ✓A clinician can identify the cause of vulvovaginal symptoms and lumps on examination, with testing used selectively, per this patient-facing NIH overview.
  3. 3.The North American Menopause Society (Menopause Society) (2020). The 2020 genitourinary syndrome of menopause position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000001609 ✓Postmenopausal vulvovaginal tissue changes with declining estrogen, supporting closer evaluation of a new or firm vulvar lump after menopause.

3 sources, numbered by first appearance. General health information, not medical advice. AI-assisted editorial content — every citation independently verified. Editorial policy

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