Vaginal Cysts Treatment – Pune

The formation of vaginal cysts has various causes which include:

• Injuries during childbirth
• Accumulation of fluid in the vagina

 Occurrence of harmless tumours (benign) in the vagina

In most cases, symptoms are absent or minimal (asymptomatic). When present, they may include:

• Pressure and discomfort in the vagina
• Swelling in the vaginal area
• Bleeding in the vaginal area
• Painful sex (dyspareunia)
• Tender (painful to touch)

If you have any of these symptoms, it’s advisable to contact your gynaecologist without further delay.

Diagnosis is usually made by a combination of physical examination with the help of some imaging techniques and even a histopathological examination:

• Physical Examination

Vaginal cysts are incidentally (accidentally) discovered at the time of a pelvic exam, pap smear (a procedure in which a spatula/spoon is used to gently scrape off the cervical cells and examined under a microscope to look for the presence of cervical cancer), and a bimanual routine gynaecology exam. Alternatively, it is done when the patient complains of swelling in the vaginal region.

• Imaging Techniques

A variety of imaging techniques is used to establish the type and severity of vaginal cysts. They may include ultrasound of the pelvis, voiding cystourethrogram (a procedure where a dye is injected into the patient to visualise the urinary system and establish if there is damage to the bladder or other parts of the urinary system), MRI (to pick up any Bartholin cysts which aren’t visible to the naked eye during physical examination).

• Histopathological examination

Sometimes, depending on the gynaecologist’s evaluation a biopsy is required, where a small portion of the cyst may be cut and sent for a microscopic examination to rule out any cancerous origin and also to determine the particular type.

There are a wide variety of vaginal cysts and the type of them determines the treatment course. Surgical intervention is only required when the cysts are big, painful and impedes sexual intercourse. Bartholin’s cysts are the most likely candidates for surgical intervention. Some of the common cysts are given below :

• Inclusion Cysts

○ They are the commonest types of vaginal cysts

○ They are small in size and can occur at the back of your vaginal wall

○ They are formed as a result of injuries during childbirth or surgery

• Bartholin's Glands Cysts

○ These are located on either side of the vaginal opening and are responsible for producing the substance that lubricates the vaginal lips (labia)

○ Obstruction at the opening of these glands leads to the accumulation of liquid in the vagina

○ Usually, these cysts are painless

○ If an infection occurs in the cyst, pus may collect in the vaginal tissues resulting in an abscess

• Gartner's Duct Cysts

○ Sometimes, during the birth of a baby, certain anomalies (defects) remain and result in the formation of vaginal cysts at a later stage in life

• Müllerian Cysts

○ They occur if some material, mostly mucous, remains behind as a baby develops.