Bartholin gland cancer in a young woman: a case report

With 6,020 new cases and 1,150 deaths annually in the United States, vulvar cancer is uncommon, resulting in age-adjusted incidence rates of 2.8 and 1.7 per 100,000 in white and black women, respectively. Vulvar cancer represents about 4% to 6% of malignancies of the female genital tract and 0.6% of all cancers in women. Vulvar cancer predominantly affects postmenopausal women, and it is the most common anogenital cancer in women with more than 70 years of age. HPV infection is associated with a significant number of vulvar cancers. Bartholin Gland carcinoma is a rare form of vulvar malignancy that accounts for less than 5% of all vulvar cancers and 0.001% of all genital cancers. The aim of this study was to report a rare case of Bartholin's cancer in a young patient.

The patient was a 37-year-old woman p2l2 (history of two pregnancy and two delivery) who had complains of severe pain in perineal area and was referred to the gynecology emergency clinic, Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, in June 2020. In past medical history she had no previous history of medical illnesses or surgical interventions. She had swelling and pain in perineal area since one year ago. Bartholin Gland abscess was diagnosed and she received some oral antibiotics, but did not improve. On the last examination under anesthesia, a firm mass of about 3 cm was palpated in the third distal part of posterior vagina which was at the site of Bartholin Gland and was necrotic. The pathologic report of the mass biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. The patient was underwent chemo radiation therapy. At a follow up visit about 5 month later she was cured completely and there was not any symptom of recurrence or metastasis.

In dealing with any patient with diagnosis of Bartholin Gland abscess, in the case of resistance to medical treatment, further evaluation and biopsy of the mass should be considered to rule out Bartholin's gland cancer.