IMR Press / CEOG / Volume 49 / Issue 9 / DOI: 10.31083/j.ceog4909202
Open Access Systematic Review
Report of a Case of a Giant Dumb-Bell Shaped Bartholin’s Gland Cyst and Systematic Review of the Literature
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1 Gynecological Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, San Marco Hospital, 95121 Catania, Italy
2 Gynecological Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, ARNAS Garibaldi Hospital, 95123 Catania, Italy
3 Gynecological Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Valdarno Hospital, 52025 Montevarchi, Italy
4 Gynecological Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Rome “Tor Vergata'', 00133 Roma, Italy
*Correspondence: francescogmartire@libero.it (Francesco G. Martire)
Academic Editor: Valerio Gaetano Vellone
Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2022, 49(9), 202; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.ceog4909202
Submitted: 14 March 2022 | Revised: 10 June 2022 | Accepted: 13 June 2022 | Published: 1 September 2022
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Bartholin’s gland cysts are one of the most frequent masses involving vulva. They may start as cysts without symptoms but if untreated, they may grow, leading to infection and consequent surgical treatment. Up to noe the giant and dumb-bell shaped presentation of Bartholin’s gland cyst is reported once in literature. Methods: We performed an online systematic literature review, using PubMed and Medline search to identify all listed publications around giant dumb-bell shaped Bartholin’s gland cyst larger than 10 cm. We identified a total of 3 cases. Of these 3 cases, 2 cases were giant Bartholin’s duct cyst and only 1 case a giant and dumb-bell shaped Bartholin cyst. We analyzed the diagnosis and the treatment of these 3 cases. Thus, we described our case of a giant and dumb-bell shaped Bartholin cyst and its treatment performed at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of San Marco Hospital in Catania Sicily. After that, we first summarized the large Bartholin’s gland cyst hitherto reported and next we summarized the current knowledge of clinical handling of Bartholin’s gland cyst in general. Results: Apart from clinical examination, perineal ultrasound was very useful in diagnosis, because of providing more information concerning the dimensions, shape and extent of the cyst. The case presented with two large swellings with a main mass superiorly and a smaller one inferiorly and perineal ultrasound allowed us to realize that the two masses of the cyst were connected each other through a narrow neck. The ultrasound scan was useful also during the marsupialization of the cyst. Conclusions: In the current literature this type of giant and dumb-bell shaped presentation of Bartholin’s gland cyst is uncommon and has reported just one time. In addition we highlitght the utility of perineal ultrasound in the management of Bartholin’s gland cyst in order to define a right differential diagnosis between cystic and solid vulvar masses.

Keywords
Bartholin's gland cyst
dumb bell shaped
giant
ultrasound
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