Question

The commonest organism responsible for Bartholin abscess is

• A. Treponema pallidum
• B. Trichomonas vaginalis
• C. Neisseria gonorrhoeae
• D. Lymphogranuloma venereum

Hint:

Think of the organism most linked to STIs affecting the vulvovaginal glands.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The Bartholin glands sit in the posterior part of each labium majus and drain mucus through a short duct into the vestibule. When the duct gets blocked, fluid builds up behind it and the gland can turn into a cyst or, if it gets infected, an abscess. The question asks which germ most often causes that infection.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Bartholin abscess is treated as a sexually transmitted infection until proven otherwise, because the gland sits close to the vaginal opening and often gets seeded during intercourse. The organism most linked with it in exam teaching is the gonococcus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, though mixed anaerobic and coliform infections are also described.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Treponema pallidum causes syphilis, which shows up as a painless genital ulcer (chancre), not a painful gland abscess.
Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoan that causes a frothy, itchy vaginal discharge, not a Bartholin gland infection.
Lymphogranuloma venereum, caused by Chlamydia trachomatis serovars L1 to L3, gives painful inguinal lymph node swelling (buboes), not a Bartholin abscess.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the organism classically linked to duct blockage and abscess formation in the Bartholin gland, making it the standard answer in gynaecology teaching.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The commonest organism behind a Bartholin abscess is Neisseria gonorrhoeae, option (C).