What Is a Dermoid Cyst?

Dermatoid cysts are a congenital disorder and are a hamartoma, often located subcutaneously, occasionally in submucosa or internal organs. Depending on the location of the cyst, the cyst can contain different components, such as teeth, nails, and cartilage-like or bone-like structures.

Basic Information

English name

dermoidcyst

Visiting department

dermatology

Multiple groups

baby

Common locations

Around the eyes

Common symptoms

Skin lesions are subcutaneous nodules with a diameter of 1 to 4 cm

Dermatoid cyst clinical manifestations

Early onset, more common in infants. The skin lesions are subcutaneous nodules with a diameter of 1 to 4 cm. The surface of the skin is movable, but the base is often adhered and fixed. Growth is generally slow. The most common area is the eye area.

Dermatoid cyst examination

The histopathology of the lesion showed that the cyst was a single chamber with a thick cyst wall, similar to intact or incomplete skin structures. The innermost layer is the stratum corneum, and the remaining layers are the granular layer, the spinous cell layer, the basal layer, and the dermal layer. Dermal tissues include hair follicles, sebaceous glands, small sweat glands, and apocrine sweat glands. Sebum, epithelial debris, hair, and more viscous fluid were seen in the cystic cavity. Ovarian dermoid cyst (cystic teratoma) or intra-abdominal disseminated dermoid cyst contains nails, hair, cartilage or bone components. The capsule wall contains skin appendage structures such as hair follicles, sweat glands, sweat glands, and occasionally teeth or nerves.

Dermatoid cyst treatment

The treatment method is complete resection. If the base of the cyst is close to the bone surface, it should be removed together with the periosteum. After the cyst is removed, if the bone tissue is sunken, defective or deformed, a later tissue transplant can be performed to restore the normal appearance.