Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the Bartholin's gland: the University of Michigan experience

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the Bartholin's gland has been encountered in 11 patients at the University of Michigan Medical Center since 1936. At the time of presentation the average age was 48.9 years, the lesion size was between 0.5 to 4 cm. The presenting symptoms were pain and/or pruritis associated with a solitary mass. Early in this series, excisional biopsy was used to treat eight patients. The last three patients have been treated with a radical vulvectomy and unilateral or bilateral groin lymph node dissection. Local recurrence has occurred in five patients and distant recurrence in four patients. In spite of the high recurrence rate, 5- and 10-year survival has been high with all seven evaluable patients surviving 5 and 10 years. However, adenoid cystic carcinoma of the vulva is associated with late recurrences and metastases: three patients were dead of disease at 12, 15 and 31 years after initial diagnosis.