A Bartholin's gland with nodules and cysts bathed in mucus

The most common pathology of the Bartholin's gland is with its draining duct. Marsupialisation or fistulisation are the most common therapies. In some women, the clinical problem is with the Bartholin's gland itself, being hyperplasia with or without duct rupture in the subcutaneous tissue. Presenting symptoms and signs of nodular hyperplasia are pain and (nodular or diffuse) swelling especially during sexual arousal, or simply a symptomless mass. During surgery, the striking features are subcutaneous free-floating mucus and nodular enlargement ‘deep’ in the labium majus. The optimal surgical approach is an excision through an incision alongside the labiocrural fold. We describe three cases to provide insight into the various clinical presentations and management problems. Nodular hyperplasia of Bartholin's gland is easily misdiagnosed because of its rare occurrence and diversity of signs and symptoms. An unusual presentation or clinical course of disease may indicate nodular hyperplasia.