Bartholin's Cyst

A Bartholin's cyst occurs when a Bartholin's gland within the labia becomes blocked. Small cysts may cause minimal or no symptoms, while larger cysts may cause swelling on one side of the vaginal opening and pain during sex or walking; if the cyst becomes infected an abscess can occur, typically red and very painful. Bartholin's cysts affect about two percent of women at some point in their life and most commonly occur during the childbearing years.