A Gartner's duct cyst (sometimes incorrectly referred to as vaginal inclusion cyst) is a benign vaginal cyst that originates from the Gartner's duct, which is a vestigial remnant of the mesonephric duct (Wolffian duct) in females.[1][2] Wolffian Ducts normally form the male genital tract and regress in females.[8] Persistent Wolffian duct syndrome (PWDS) in individuals with XX chromosomes is the inverse disorder of Persistent Müllerian duct syndrome (PMDS) in individuals with XY chromosomes. They are typically small asymptomatic cysts that occur along the lateral walls of the vagina, following the course of the duct. They can present in adolescence with painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea) or difficulty inserting a tampon. They can also enlarge to substantial proportions and be mistaken for urethral diverticulum or cystocele.[3][4] In some rare instances, they can be congenital.[2]
The size of the cyst is usually less than 2 cm. On T2-weighted imaging, it manifests as hyperintense signal as most of its contents are fluid in nature. If the contents of the cyst are blood or protenanous, it will show high T1 signal and low T2 signal.[7]
References
^Hoogendam JP, Smink M (April 2017). "Gartner's Duct Cyst". The New England Journal of Medicine. 376 (14): e27. doi:10.1056/NEJMicm1609983. PMID28379795.
^Currarino G (November 1982). "Single vaginal ectopic ureter and Gartner's duct cyst with ipsilateral renal hypoplasia and dysplasia (or agenesis)". The Journal of Urology. 128 (5): 988–93. doi:10.1016/S0022-5347(17)53311-X. PMID7176066.
^Chaudhari VV, Patel MK, Douek M, Raman SS (November 2010). "MR imaging and US of female urethral and periurethral disease". Radiographics. 30 (7): 1857–74. doi:10.1148/rg.307105054. PMID21057124.