lump on labia

[Dernhelm]

hello, i am a healthy 18 year old female. many, many years ago (at least 10), i found a small, somewhat hard lump on the lower right side of my labia majora. until very recently, it has never bothered me in any way. however, just a couple of days ago, it has started to be quite painful and it appears to have grown a little in size and darkened. please tell me what this is.

[Hepatitis Researcher]

Management of Bartholin's Duct Cyst and Gland Abscess
FOLASHADE OMOLE, M.D., BARBARA J. SIMMONS, M.D., and YOLANDA HACKER, M.D.
Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia

Bartholin's duct cysts and gland abscesses are common problems in women of reproductive age. Bartholin's glands are located bilaterally at the posterior introitus and drain through ducts that empty into the vestibule at approximately the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions. These normally pea-sized glands are palpable only if the duct becomes cystic or a gland abscess develops. The differential diagnosis includes cystic and solid lesions of the vulva, such as epidermal inclusion cyst, Skene's duct cyst, hidradenoma papilliferum, and lipoma. The goal of management is to preserve the gland and its function if possible. Office-based procedures include insertion of a Word catheter for a duct cyst or gland abscess, and marsupialization of a cyst; marsupialization should not be used to treat a gland abscess. Broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy is warranted only when cellulitis is present. Excisional biopsy is reserved for use in ruling out adenocarcinoma in menopausal or perimenopausal women with an irregular, nodular Bartholin's gland mass. (Am Fam Physician 2003;68:135-40. Copyright© 2003 American Academy of Family Physicians.)

[copyman]

can you post a picture of it and i will give you my professional opinion  :-) all kidding aside you are in the wrong forum.

[merryBe]

any time a lump, cyst or mole changes in size shape or becomes painful you need to have it checked by a doctor. It may be a simple cyst,  from time to time these can become problematic and need to be drained or excised.......however....changes in lumps can also be a warning sign that a lump has become malignant, or cancerous.

there is absolutely no way for you to tell which of the 2 above scenarios fits your case.
Since change in size and/or pain in a lump is one of the 7 warning signs of cancer, you need to get in to see a doctor as soon as possible and determine which it is.
In all likihood it will be a simple cyst and easy and cheap to treat, but you do not want to fool around and wait to find out, because if it is something more, then early detection and treatment is crucial to your long term health.
Not trying to scare you here, but just encourage you to do the Safe thing, and get seen.
maryB

[Bill1954]

You might want to repost you're question in this forum:

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/129

This is the Hepatitis C group here.

Good luck to you--

Bill