A boil (or furuncle) is a skin disease in which a hair follicle is infected, and pus and dead tissue collect in the follicle. If there are several boils connected, then they form a carbuncle. The symptoms of a boil include reddish, warm, painful lumps filled with pus.


The treatment includes local or orally administered antibiotics to kill the bacteria that produce the pus. The pus might exit on the surface or be absorbed in the deep tissue.


A cyst is a closed sac which is separated from the surrounding tissue with a membrane. It might contain liquid, air, or solid material. If pus is present it is called an abscess. The pus might be absorbed spontaneously or might need surgical incision to drain it. The symptoms are similar to the ones in a boil.


As you can see, the important difference between a boil and a cyst is the presence of a membrane in the cyst. This membrane delays the epithelisation process and the healing of the tissue.


Whether it is a boil or a cyst present in the vaginal area cannot be determined until it is surgically opened and drained. The woman might want to visit her gynecologist and have the boil or the cyst removed. What type of treatment would be recommended depends on the actual findings at the physical examination.