Bartholin cysts are common fluid-filled lumps that form near the opening of your vagina. When infected, they can become abscesses, which can have more severe symptoms and require different treatments.

Boils are painful, pus-filled, and are caused by infections like Staphylococcus aureus. Cysts are painless, non-infectious growths filled with keratin or other substances. Antibiotics may treat boils ...

Katlein Franca, MD, is a dermatologist and clinical associate professor of Dermatology & Cutaneous Surgery and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami. Boils start as tender bumps ...

The Bartholin glands sit on either side of the vagina and make lubricating fluid. When these glands get blocked, fluid can back up in them and form a Bartholin cyst. Bartholin cysts are often small ...

An abscess occurs when an infection causes a pocket of pus to develop. Abscesses can develop on the skin, in the mouth, or inside the body. Bacterial infections typically cause abscesses. Pus develops ...

Cellulitis and skin abscesses are both due to bacterial infections. They may develop separately or together, and they need different treatments. Your skin is home to about 1,000 different species of ...