Dermoid cyst

Main article: Teratoma

A dermoid cyst is a cystic teratoma that contains an

Large ovarian cyst

A small (4 cm) dermoid cyst of an ovary, discovered during a

C-section

array of developmentally mature, solid tissues. It frequently consists of skin, complete with hair follicles, and
sweat glands. Other commonly found components include: clumps of long hair, pockets of sebum, blood, fat,
bone, nails, teeth, eyes, cartilage, and thyroid tissue.
Because it grows slowly and contains mature tissue, a dermoid cyst is almost always benign. The rare malignant
dermoid cyst usually develops squamous cell carcinoma
in adults; in infants and children it usually develops an
endodermal sinus tumor.[1]:781

Location

A dermoid cyst can occur wherever a teratoma can occur,

Dermoid cyst in vaginal ultrasonography.
since they are categorically classied as such.

1.1

Ovarian dermoid cysts

Ovaries normally grow cyst-like structures called follicles

each month. Once an egg is released from its follicle during ovulation, follicles typically deate. Sometimes uid
accumulates inside the follicle, forming a simple (containing only uid) cyst.[2] The majority of these functional
cysts resolve spontaneously.

cysts. Dermoid cysts originate from totipotential germ

cells (which are present at birth) that dierentiate abnormally, developing characteristics of mature dermal cells.
Complications exist, such as torsion (twisting), rupture,
and infection, although their incidence is rare. Dermoid
ovarian cysts which are larger or present complications
While all ovarian cysts can range in size from very small to might require removal by either laparoscopy or laparoquite large, dermoid cysts are not classied as functional tomy (traditional surgery).[3][4]
1

1.2

Periorbital dermoid cysts

Dermoid cysts can appear in young children, often near

the lateral aspect of the eyebrow (right part of the right
eyebrow or left part of the left eyebrow). These are sometimes excised and sometimes simply kept under observation, depending on the perceived amount of risk.

REFERENCES

2 Treatment
Treatment for dermoid cyst is complete surgical removal,
preferably in one piece and without any spillage of cyst
contents. Marsupialization, a surgical technique often
used to treat pilonidal cyst, is inappropriate for dermoid
cyst due to the risk of malignancy.

An inammatory reaction can occur if the dermoid cyst is

disrupted, and dermoid cysts can recur if not completely
excised. Sometimes complete excision is not practical if
the cyst is in a dumbbell conguration where it extends
through a suture line in the skull.

The association of dermoid cysts with pregnancy has been

increasingly reported. They usually present the dilemma
of weighing the risks of surgery and anesthesia versus the
risks of untreated adnexal mass. Most references state
that it is more feasible to treat bilateral dermoid cysts
If the dermoid cysts appear on the medial aspect, the pos- of the ovaries discovered during pregnancy if they grow
sibility of an encephalocele becomes greater and should beyond 6 cm in diameter. This is usually performed
through laparotomy or very carefully through laparoscopy
be considered among the dierential diagnosis.
and should preferably be done in the second trimester.[9]

1.3

Spinal dermoid cysts

3 Dierential diagnosis

Spinal dermoid cysts are benign ectopic growths thought

to be a consequence of embryology errors during neural
tube closure. Their reported incidence is extremely rare,
accounting for less than 1% of intramedullary spinal cord
tumours. It has been proposed that a possible 180 cases
of spinal dermoid tumours have been identied over the
past century in the literature.[5][6]

A small dermoid cyst on the coccyx can be dicult to

distinguish from a pilonidal cyst. This is partly because
both can be full of hair. A pilonidal cyst is a pilonidal
sinus that is obstructed. Any teratoma near the body surface may develop a sinus or a stula, or even a cluster
of these. Such is the case of Canadian Football League
linebacker Tyrone Jones, whose teratoma was discovered
Dermoid cysts more often involve the lumbosacral region
when he blew a tooth out of his nose.[10]
than the thoracic vertebrae and are extramedullary presenting in the rst decade of life.
Various hypotheses have been advanced to explain the
pathogenesis of spinal dermoids, the origin of which may
be acquired or congenital.
Acquired or iatrogenic dermoids may arise from
the implantation of epidermal tissue into the subdural space i.e. spinal cutaneous inclusion, during needle puncture (e.g. lumbar puncture) or during surgical procedures on closure of a dysraphic
malformation.[6][7]

4 See also
Ovarian cyst
Cyst
Dermoid sinus, more commonly known as a
pilonidal cyst
Proliferating trichilemmal cyst
List of cutaneous conditions

Congenital dermoids, however, are thought to arise

from cells whose position is correct but which fail
to dierentiate into the correct cell-type. The longtime held belief was that the inclusion of cutaneous
ectodermal cells occurred early in embryonic life,
and the displaced pluripotent cells developed into a
dermoid lesion.[7][8]
Spinal abnormalities, e.g. intramedullary dermoid cysts
may arise more frequently in the lumbosacral region
(quite often at the level of the conus medullaris) and may
be seen with other congenital anomalies of the spine including posterior spina bida occulta as identied by the
neuroradiological analysis.[5][8]

5 References
[1] Freedberg, et al. (2003). Fitzpatricks Dermatology in
General Medicine. (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07138076-0.
[2] Mayo Clinic: Ovarian Cysts https://www.mayoclinic.
com/health/ovarian-cysts/DS00129/DSECTION=causes
[3] Cyst Managementhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/
10.1002/uog.7610/full#bib2
[4] Dermoid Cyst of the Ovary Dened http://www.
medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2960

[5] Najjar et al (2005) Dorsal Intramedullary Dermoids. Neurosurgery Review. 28:320-325

[6] Aalst et al (2009) Intraspinal Dermoid and Epidermoid
Tumours: Reports of 18 Cases ad Reapproasal of the Literature. Pediatric Neurosurgery. 45:281-290
[7] Roth et al (1966) Intramedullary dermoid - Journal of
neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 29:262-264
[8] Muraszko et al (2000) Intramedullary spinal tumours of
disordered embryogensis Journal of Neuro-oncology
47:271-281
[9] Walid MS, Boddy MG. (2008). Bilateral dermoid cysts
of the ovary in a pregnant woman: case report and review
of the literature. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 279 (2): 105108.
doi:10.1007/s00404-008-0695-3. PMID 18509663.
[10] Maki: Jones returns to say goodbye Globe and Mail,
November 16, 2006

6 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

6.1

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Dermoid cyst Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermoid%20cyst?oldid=633798106 Contributors: Mirv, Nunh-huh, Zigger, Jason

Quinn, R, Discospinster, Leigh Honeywell, Arcadian, Hooperbloob, Anthony Appleyard, PatrickFisher, Wouterstomp, Axl, Seans Potato
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6.2

Images

File:Dermoid_cyst.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Dermoid_cyst.jpg License: CC0 Contributors:

Own work Original artist: Mikael Hggstrm.
File:Large_ovarian_cyst.JPG Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Large_ovarian_cyst.JPG License: CCBY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Sandy Wilson
File:Mature_cystic_teratoma_of_ovary.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Mature_cystic_teratoma_
of_ovary.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://web2.airmail.net/uthman/specimens/index.html Original artist: Photograph by
Ed Uthman, MD.

6.3

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