Bartholin’s Gland Hyperplasia and Type III Female Genital Mutilation: A Clinical Case Report and Literature Perspective

An enlargement of the Bartholin’s gland can be caused by several conditions, both benign and malignant. Bartholin’s gland hyperplasia is a rare and relatively unknown diagnosis that can be overlooked or misdiagnosed due to unspecific clinical presentation. The patient presented in this case report is a young female with a bothersome left vulvar firm mass and a female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) type IIIa. The mass was excised, and a Bartholin’s gland hyperplasia was confirmed by pathological examination. We hypothesize that FGM/C may have been an etiological factor for Bartholin’s gland hyperplasia in this patient, possibly associated with chronic inflammation, and thus is important to consider when presented with a Bartholin’s mass. To our knowledge, Bartholin’s gland hyperplasia associated with FGM represents a previously unreported condition, making this case a unique and valuable addition to the existing literature.