Vaginitis emphysematosa

Vaginitis emphysematosa is a rare, benign vaginal cyst identified in 173 cases.<ref name="Leder 2012" /><ref name="Kramer 1987" /><ref name="Toy 2011">Toy, Turan,

 Female Genital Tract Cysts, 
 European Journal of General Medicine, 
 
 Vol. 9,
 pp. 21–26,
 DOI: 10.29333/ejgm/82499,
 
 
 
 Full text,</ref><ref name="EILBER 717–722">EILBER, KARYN SCHLUNT, 
 Benign Cystic Lesions of the Vagina: A Literature Review, 
 The Journal of Urology, 
 2003,
 Vol. 170(Issue: 3),
 pp. 717–722,
 DOI: 10.1097/01.ju.0000062543.99821.a2,
 PMID: 12913681,</ref> Women that have been affected were 42 to 65 years old.<ref name="Kramer 1987" /> The cysts appear grouped but defined from one another, smooth, and can be as large as 2 cm.<ref name="Leder 2012" /> Symptoms included: vaginal discharge, itching, sensation of pressure, appearance of nodules, and sometimes a "popping sound".<ref name="Leder 2012" /><ref>Heller, Debra S., 
 Vaginal Cysts, 
 Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease, 
 2012,
 Vol. 16(Issue: 2),
 pp. 140–144,
 DOI: 10.1097/lgt.0b013e3182320ef0,</ref> The cause is unknown. Histological examination showed the cysts contained pink hyalin-like material, foreign body-type giant cells in the cyst's wall, with chronic inflammatory cell fluid. The gas-filled cysts are identified with CT imaging. The gas contained in the cysts has been analysed and consists of nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide.<ref name="Leder 2012" /> Treatment may not be required and no complications follow the resolution of the cysts.<ref name="Kramer 1987">Kramer, K., 
 Vaginitis emphysematosa, 
 Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, 
 
 Vol. 111(Issue: 8),
 pp. 746–749,
 
 PMID: 3632288,</ref> It may be associated with immunosuppresion, trichomonsis, or Haemophilus vaginalis infection.<ref name="Leder 2012" /><ref>Escoffery, C. T., 
 Vaginitis emphysematosa associated with an abnormal Pap smear, 
 The West Indian Medical Journal, 
 
 Vol. 50(Issue: 3),
 pp. 234–235,
 
 PMID: 11769034,</ref> Vaginitis emphysemotosa is characterized by gas-filled cysts in the vaginal wall. The first mention of the cyst was in 1877 by Zweifel.<ref name="Leder 2012">Leder, Richard A., 
 Vaginitis Emphysematosa, 
 American Journal of Roentgenology, 
 
 Vol. 176(Issue: 3),
 pp. 623–625,
 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.176.3.1760623,
 PMID: 11222191,</ref><ref name="EILBER 717–722"/>

See also

• Vaginal cysts
• Vaginal tumors

References

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