A woman presents with a fluctuant non tender swelling at the introitus.
The best treatment is:
A. Marsupialisation
B. Incision and drainage
C. Surgical resection
D. Aspiration
The Correct Answer is A. Marsupialisation
The diagnosis in the question points towards the diagnosis of Bartholin’s cyst. Though both surgical resection and marsupialisation are used in the surgical management, the latter is preferred due to its advantages.Incision and drainage would be most appropriate for Bartholin’s abscess.
Aspiration would lead to recurrence and thus not used in the surgical management of Bartholin’s cyst.
The advantages of marsupialisation over surgical resection are as follows:
- The procedure is simple and can be done as a out patient procedure.
- Even local anesthesia would be sufficient.
- Requires only a short hospital stay ( usually discharged within 24 hours)
- Postoperative complications are few and rare. There is increased incidence of bleeding with surgical resection.
- Better cosmetic outcome.
- The glandular secretion is intact.
