Cyst and freckles on the labia

On the day I had my surgery for my basal cell I noticed I had gotten a cyst on the outside of my right labia minora. I didn't think much of it because I've been getting them off and on for years and they all eventually go away and I dont' think about them again. Well, then I went to "Dr. Google" and got quite the scare. One website said any woman over 40 should have that biopsied.

So, last night I pulled out my trusty mirror to check things out. It looks like what I call an underground cyst. Same color as the rest of the skin, but there's a bump there. It don't hurt or itch or bleed. While I was checking things out I noticed on the other side of my labia (left side) between the labia minor and majora I had what looked like freckles. Now that freaked me out because A) I don't remember having freckles down there and I don't even know if it's normal to get freckles there. They are dark and flat, not raised at all, about the size of a pencil tip.

I admit the "freckles" are really bothering me. I plan on calling the gyn and getting in ASAP. I'd really rather go to my derm, since she's a skin expert, but I'm not sure if derms treat that area.

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

Derms treat skin, wherever it is. Maybe you should call and discuss?

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I called and the only person I could speak to (the receptionist) said she didn't know. I left a vm for the nurse.

Then I talked to my friend who is a NP and she said either or both can treat it, so I got an appt with the derm as the gyn doesn't have anything available for a few weeks.

Smart, although your gyn might have a note in your chart about them if you've had the freckles for awhile and just didn't realize it. Hopefully all's benign, but you're smart to get it looked at.

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

Smart, although your gyn might have a note in your chart about them if you've had the freckles for awhile and just didn't realize it. Hopefully all's benign, but you're smart to get it looked at.

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Thanks! My friend the NP, said it didn't sound "scary" to her, she'd have it looked at, just to be safe, but she didn't feel it was worth stressing. I really think the basal cell has gotten me all freaked out over everything little thing. And this is one more bump getting in the way of my riding. I can't ride and have the shorts rubbing that cyst.

I didn't think of that about the chart, but that's a very good point.

I saw the derm. She said for skin matters no matter where she'd rather I come see her since she's the skin expert, which makes sense. It turns out the freckles are angiokeratomas, all part of aging, but they do look a bit like melanomas and the cyst is a bartholin's cyst. She offered to lance it, but I said, no thank you, I'll try the sitz baths a bit longer.

I'm glad it wasn't anything to worry about. Good luck with the cyst.

So glad it wasn't something to worry about, and that you were able to get definitive answers. Also - at least you know where to go if the cyst doesn't resolve. Good luck!!

Thanks guys :)

Whew! But still a pain with the cyst since you can't ride. :(

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

Whew! But still a pain with the cyst since you can't ride. :(

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Hopefully not too much longer and it will go away.

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Originally Posted by thekarens

Hopefully not too much longer and it will go away.

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I also had an experience about 10 years ago with the Bartholin's cyst... after having it drained a few times, it came back and I ended up having an outpatient surgery to remove it... meant a few weeks off my bike and then another month or so on a silly "moon saddle" I bought at Bike Expo, but at least I was riding again. I hate to say, but I don't think those things usually "go away" on their own. :( Good luck though thekarens, I will hope for the best for you!

I feel for you for this pain. Used to have those regularly. Tried to figure out why and how they happened but never was able to. Some were really painful until they burst. And of course, they are so painful you tend to "play" with them trying to make them burst! Hot baths, etc... At some point I just could not handle some and used a sterilized needle and it did the trick. What a relief it was. But since I don't have regular menstruations (hoping they will no longer come back now that my last ones were in November - viva being over 50) for the past year and a half, crossing fingers here, but they never came back again. Was it hormone related??? I don'tk now. But it sure is no fun having those. I had talked to my doctor during an annual and she told me that those were pretty normal. I was sooooo afraid the first few times that it was a STD. I could not understand how I would get a disease but who knows! But she reassured me that it was "just" that for the lump.

She told me I could try using polysporin when it happened but never really saw any difference.

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Originally Posted by AppleTree

I also had an experience about 10 years ago with the Bartholin's cyst... after having it drained a few times, it came back and I ended up having an outpatient surgery to remove it... meant a few weeks off my bike and then another month or so on a silly "moon saddle" I bought at Bike Expo, but at least I was riding again. I hate to say, but I don't think those things usually "go away" on their own. :( Good luck though thekarens, I will hope for the best for you!

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That is true, the only way to TRULY get rid of a Bartholins is to have it removed. The doc told me that the ones I've been getting over the years is most likely this one going up and down. Thankfully it's never gotten really large like I know it can.

I appreciate everyone's thoughts and comments.