Index
Cysts can develop in most parts of the body for many reasons, sometimes for no apparent reason.
Frequently, people receive small, painless bumps under the skin, called cysts.
Cutaneous cysts do not need treatment most of the time. They are painless, and there is nothing to worry about unless they get hurt or become infected.
A sebaceous cyst is a term commonly used to refer to any of the following:
- Epidermoid cysts (also called epidermal cysts or infundibular cysts) originate in the epidermis, contain keratin, not sebum, and do not originate in the sebaceous glands.
- Hairy cysts (also called trisomic cysts, asthma-catagen cysts), is a common cyst that is formed from a hair follicle. They are found most often on the scalp.
The cysts are smooth and mobile and full of keratin, a protein component found in hair, nails, skin, and horns. However, they are clinically and histologically distinct from trichilemmal horns, rarer and not limited to the scalp.
Trichilemic cysts can be hereditary and may or may not be inflamed and tender, often depending on whether they have ruptured.
Rarely these cysts can grow wider and form rapidly multiplying trichilemmal tumors, also called trichilemmal proliferating cysts, which are benign but can grow aggressively at the cyst site.
Very rarely, trichilemmal cysts can become cancerous. Hair cysts are significantly more common in women, and the tendency to develop these cysts is often inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. In most cases, multiple hair cysts appear at once.
Therefore, technically speaking, they are not sebaceous cysts. “True” sebaceous cysts, cysts originating in the sebaceous glands containing sebum, are relatively rare and are known as simple steatocystoma or, if multiple, as multiple steatocystomata.
Medical professionals have suggested avoiding sebaceous cysts since they can be misleading. However, the term is still frequently used for epidermal and hairy cysts.
However, if you have a cyst that bothers you or is embarrassing, you should discuss it with your doctor. Also, tell your doctor about skin conditions you have so you can control them for signs of a severe problem.
Signs and symptoms of sebaceous cysts
The main symptom of a sebaceous cyst is a small lump under the skin. The swelling is usually not painful. However, the cysts can become inflamed and sensitive to touch in some cases.
The skin in the cyst area may be red and hot. The cyst drainage will appear grayish white and similar to cheese and have a disgusting smell.
The scalp, ears, back, face, and upper arm is frequent sites of sebaceous cysts, although they can appear anywhere on the body except the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
In men, a commonplace to develop is the scrotum and thorax. They are more common in the more hairy areas, wherein cases of long duration could cause hair loss on the surface of the skin immediately above the cyst.
They are soft to the touch, vary in size, and generally have a round shape. They are usually mobile masses consisting of fibrous tissues and fluids (connective tissue is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, together with epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue, developed from the mesoderm).
Connective tissue is found among other tissues throughout the body, including the nervous system. The three outer membranes (the meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord are composed of connective tissue in the central nervous system.
They support and protect the body. The connective tissue consists of three main components: fibers (elastic and collagen fibers), fundamental substance, and cells.
Not all authorities include blood or lymph as connective tissue because they lack the fiber component. Everyone is immersed in the water of the body.
Connective tissue cells include fibroblasts, adipocytes, macrophages, mast cells, and leukocytes.
A fatty substance (keratinous) that resembles cottage cheese, the cyst can be called “keratin cyst.” This material has a characteristic “cheesy” smell or foot odor.
A somewhat viscous serosanguineous fluid (containing purulent and bloody material).
The nature of the content of a sebaceous cyst and its surrounding capsule differs according to whether the cyst has ever been infected.
With surgery, a cyst can usually be removed in its entirety. The poor surgical technique or previous infection leading to scarring and anchoring the cyst to the surrounding tissue can cause a rupture during excision and removal.
A completely removed cyst will not appear again, although if the patient has a predisposition to the formation of cysts, other cysts may develop in the same general area.
Causes
Blocked sebaceous glands can cause sebaceous cysts, swollen hair follicles on the skin, high levels of testosterone, and the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids will cause such cysts.
A case of a sebaceous cyst caused by the human Bothell fly has been reported.
Trauma to the skin has also been reported. Cysts are sometimes inherited; hereditary causes of sebaceous cysts include Gardner’s syndrome and basal cell nevus syndrome.
Diagnosis of sebaceous cysts
A doctor can diagnose sebaceous cysts with a simple skin test. The doctor will perform a biopsy to rule out other skin growths in some cases.
Treatment
Sebaceous cysts usually do not require medical treatment; in most cases, sebaceous cysts can be ignored since they are generally not dangerous.
However, if they continue to grow, they can become unsightly, painful, infected, or above. If a small cyst becomes inflamed, a doctor can inject it with steroid medication to reduce swelling.
A doctor can drain a large, sensitive, or inflamed cyst. Larger cysts may need to be removed if they cause hair loss on the scalp or interfere with clothing.
A warm, damp cloth in the area may help drain and heal but will probably return. (If it rains, the things that come out probably smell bad). The cysts will sometimes go away on their own.
Your doctor can treat them quickly. The options include:
Drain the sebaceous cyst:
The doctor cuts the cyst and removes the dirt inside. The cysts can still come back after this. Inject medicine into the cyst to reduce swelling if tender or growing.
Surgical treatment for sebaceous cysts:
Surgical removal of a sebaceous cyst is a simple procedure to eliminate the sac and its contents.
General approaches are used, such as traditional wide excision, minimal excision, and excision of the puncture biopsy.
The typical outpatient surgical procedure for removing cysts is to numb the area around the cyst with a local anesthetic, then use a scalpel to open the lesion with a single cut in the center of the swelling or an oval cut on both sides of the cyst.
If the cyst is small, it can be cut in its place. The person performing the surgery will squeeze the keratin surrounding the cyst, then use blunt-tipped scissors or another instrument to keep the incision wide open while using fingers or forceps to remove the intact cyst.
If the cyst can be removed in one piece, the “cure rate” is 100%. However, suppose it is fragmented and can not be fully recovered. In that case, the operator can use curettage (scraping) to remove the remaining exposed fragments and then burn them with an electrocautery tool to destroy them instead.
In such cases, the cyst may reappear. The incision is disinfected, and, if necessary, the skin is joined again. The most likely result is a scar.
An infected cyst may require oral antibiotics or other treatment before or after excision. If pus has already formed, an incision and drainage should be made along with the avulsion of the cyst wall with adequate coverage of antibiotics.
An approach involving incision rather than excision has also been proposed.
Laser removal:
What you can do, what you should not do.
It may be tempting, but do not try to explode or drain the cyst yourself. That can cause infection, and the cyst will probably return. Please keep it clean by washing it with warm water and soap.
