Context: Vulvar abscess is a highly prevalent pathology in patients seeking emergency care; however, its epidemiology has yet to be fully clarified.

Aims: This study aimed to determine possible risk factors, the most common microorganisms involved and the appropriate antibiotic therapy in cases of vulvar abscesses treated in a tertiary hospital.

Settings and Design: This prospective study included 51 women who presented with a vulvar abscess and sought medical help at the hospital’s gynaecological emergency room over a 70-week period.

Methods: Drainage of the abscess and microbiological analysis allowed the pathogen responsible for the lesion to be identified, as well as the profile of antimicrobial sensitivity and resistance to be determined.

Statistical analysis: Frequencies and percentages, as well as means, medians and standard deviations, were calculated. Associations between the study variables were determined using the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test.

Results: Overall, 52.94% of the cultures were positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). There was no significant difference in age between the patients infected with MRSA and those infected with other agents (p>0.05). The MRSA isolates were sensitive to sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim and to gentamicin, as were the great majority of the other pathogens. Shaving the vulvar region was the most important risk factor, being present in 74.5% of cases.

Conclusion: MRSA is highly prevalent and a major cause of vulvar abscesses. Therefore, in these cases, an antibiotic therapy regimen with coverage for MRSA, such as sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, should be initiated as soon as possible.