Epidermoid Cysts: Causes And Possible Treatments

Epidermoid cysts consist of lumps on the skin. They can occur frequently, but pose no health risk and have few symptoms. What is the cause? Read on to learn more!

Epidermoid cysts are small, benign lumps on the skin. The location varies, but they appear mainly on the face, neck and upper body.

This type of cyst grows slowly and is rarely painful. There is rarely discomfort and they do not require treatment. Read on to learn more about the causes and available treatments for this unsightly skin problem.

What causes epidermoid cysts?

The epidermis, the most superficial layer of skin, consists of a thin surface that protects the cells from constantly changing. In most cases , epidermoid cysts develop when the cells in the epidermis do not disappear properly and continue to multiply instead.

They can even hold deeper in the skin. Another cause of the appearance is a skin lesion or irritation in the most superficial part of a hair follicle.

The walls of this type of cyst consist of the cells in the epidermis, and creatine is thus secreted into the cyst. Any damage to a hair follicle or sebaceous gland in the skin can thus trigger abnormal epidermal cell growth.

Symptoms of epidermoid cysts

Epidermoid cysts do not manifest with too many symptoms, but they do have some characteristics:

A visible small, round lump under the skin of the face, neck or upper body.
The central opening of the cyst is blocked by a black pimple.
The skin around the area may turn red if the cyst is inflamed or infected and there is increased sensitivity and inflammation.
It may be a thick, yellow, smelly liquid that leaks out of it.

If the skin cells do not flake off naturally, an epidermoid cyst can occur.

Do you have to go to the doctor?

Most epidermoid cysts do not lead to further health problems and do not require treatment. You should seek immediate help if you observe any of the following characteristics:

Rapid growth
It is punctured and it leads to pain or other signs of inflammation
The epidermoid cyst settles in an area that is always irritated
It causes discomfort for aesthetic reasons
It is located on an abnormal part of the body, such as the fingers
It causes fever

Risk factors for epidermoid cysts

Everyone can develop one or more epidermoid cysts, but puberty can affect their appearance. Men are more prone to have them, in addition to those with Gardner syndrome, Gorlin syndrome or pachyonychia congenita type 2.

Possible complications

In rare cases, complications can occur, among them we find:

Inflammation
Painful infection and abscesses
Fractures caused by trauma or by a bacterial infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and group A Streptococcus
Skin cancer ( a study revealed that 1% of cysts undergo a malignant transformation towards basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma)

Diagnosis

Physicians should be able to diagnose the condition simply by evaluating the cyst. It may look like a sebaceous cyst, but they are not due to the same pathology. The cause of epidermoid cysts is damage to the hair follicles or the outer layer of skin. A doctor will therefore request a biopsy to rule out other conditions if they do not trust the diagnosis.

Differential diagnosis

dermoid cysts
lipomer
pseudocysts
myxoid pseudocyst

Treatment of epidermoid cysts

Epidermoid cysts usually do not require treatment, only those that cause discomfort due to the location, for visual reasons or because they cause recurrent infections. Read on to learn about the most common therapeutic options.

Cuts and drainage

This treatment consists of making an incision in the epidermoid cyst. Furthermore, they will apply light manual pressure to squeeze out the liquid. This procedure is quick and easy, but the cyst may reappear over time if the doctor does not do it correctly.

They need to know that it is necessary to get rid of the contents of the cyst and in turn the capsule that contains it. If not, the cyst will reappear.

Incision and drainage is one of the treatments chosen first.

Minor surgery

This treatment requires a specialist who can remove the entire cyst, including the inner capsule. A study published in the journal Medical Sciences describes the importance of removing all the tissue that includes the cyst to reduce the recurrence rate.

A patient undergoing this procedure is likely to return a few days later to have the stitches removed. This operation is small, but it prevents the cyst from returning to the same area. In cases where inflammation or an infection occurs, the doctor will have to carry out the corresponding treatment and then schedule surgery.

Infiltration

Another form of treatment consists of injecting corticosteroids into the area of the cyst if there is swelling or inflammation. However, only a healthcare professional can decide if this is necessary.

Antibiotic therapy

There are periods when the presence of an infection is obvious. A doctor will therefore recommend an oral antibiotic treatment as a first treatment. They will evaluate other therapeutic options when the infection disappears.

A tumor is not necessarily malignant

Epidermoid cysts are benign skin tumors. They are actually very common and do not require medical treatment as long as no bad symptoms occur. Try not to prick them to avoid infections and further complications.

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