Deleted iTunes playlist keeps reappearing–how to delete it?

Currently, I have an iTunes playlist that continues to reappear in iTunes no matter what I do. If I delete it through iTunes, it'll reappear whenever I open the application. As well, if I edit any details about it (such as the description, name, or its rules, as it's a smart playlist) those changes in settings will not save by the time I reopen iTunes. Every time I close and open up iTunes, the playlist exists even if it was deleted, and stays with the same name, description, icon, rules, etc. it always has (for reference–the playlist is named "top rated" in lowercase and is currently set to include all songs in my library with 4 or more stars).

It's worth mentioning as well that deleting the playlist from my iPod Touch also doesn't solve the issue. If I delete it from there and iTunes, it'll stay deleted from both... of course, until I reopen iTunes, where the playlist will then reappear on the iTunes app and then be re-synced onto my iPod.

Is there a way to keep this playlist deleted, or at least allow me to edit it with those edits remaining? Is there some setting or file I can edit myself to fix the issue? Any help would be appreciated.