Sebaceous cyst (atheroma or in the common people wen) is a benign formation, consisting of a capsule with sebum inside. Atheroma can be located anywhere on the body. Very often she is infected. But in the absence of inflammation, the formation is usually asymptomatic.
This formation is the result of blockage of the ducts of the sebaceous glands. Atheromas are very rare in children, but quite common in adults. The formations are mobile, grow slowly, have a rounded shape, are painless and located in the subcutaneous tissues. Atheromas consist of a thin white capsule filled with keratinized material. Their size can vary from a few millimeters to 5 centimeters.
Sebaceous cysts are more correctly called cysts with epidermal inclusion. They are benign skin lesions. Education rarely requires medical intervention, therefore it is most often removed for cosmetic reasons. If the cysts become inflamed, appear again or become so large that they interfere with the patient’s normal life, it is recommended that they be removed.
Atheromas alone do not pass. Their size may increase or decrease over time. But to completely get rid of such an education, you need to contact a specialist.
Description
Sebaceous cysts are benign lesions that are located directly under the skin. Usually they grow slowly and do not threaten life. Most atheromas look like a solid, mobile, subcutaneous nodule of rounded yellow or white color. The cyst contains a pasty mass consisting of keratin and lipid. These substances are also found in the hair and the outer layer of the skin. The content of atheroma often has an unpleasant odor, which can be caused by a bacterial infection or decomposition, as well as due to the fat content.
Sebaceous cysts can be found anywhere on the body, but they are mainly located on the face, trunk and neck. Atheromas are harmless if they do not cause discomfort, pain, and also if inflammation does not occur. In other cases, it is recommended to take measures to combat sebaceous cysts. These can be hormonal injections, an autopsy, and drainage. There are also methods for removing atheroma: complete or partial excision and laser treatment. To prevent the occurrence of scars and infections, patients are not recommended to squeeze atheromas or remove their contents on their own. Such procedures are carried out only by a medical professional.
Causes
Cysts are usually composed of fibrous and fatty substances. Formations can appear anywhere in the body. Most often they are located on the scalp, back, face (mainly on the chin), forearm. Atheromas can also appear in the genital area. Most often, sebaceous cysts are found in men, and very rarely in women.
Atheromas are the result of the implantation of epidermal elements in the dermis. Several factors can lead to the appearance of a sebaceous cyst, for example:
- non-observance of personal hygiene;
- damage to hair follicles;
- clogged pores due to the use of low-quality cosmetics;
- non-observance of diet, abuse of sweet, spicy and fatty foods;
- trauma to the sebaceous glands (scratches, surgical operations);
- acne
- heredity (for example, Gardner syndrome or basal cell nevus).
Treatment
An uninfected sebaceous cyst can be removed by the surgeon in a planned manner for cosmetic and preventive purposes. Removal is the best treatment method to completely get rid of atheroma. However, it is worth remembering that with excision of the formation there is a risk of scarring. But if atheromas are not removed, but simply opened and pumped out, relapse of the cyst can hardly be avoided. In the absence of inflammation, the patient has the opportunity to choose a method of treatment: removal of atheroma surgically or using a laser.
The primary treatment option for an inflamed sebaceous cyst is an incision and drainage. The sebum that is inside the formation is too thick to spontaneously exit. If you do not remove the entire capsule with keratin as a whole, then atheroma will appear again.
In some cases, the sebaceous cyst may burst and the contents burst out. In these cases, after opening and cleansing the atheroma cavity, antibiotics are prescribed to the patient. They are necessary to relieve inflammation and reduce pain. There are no absolute contraindications to opening and drainage or removal of the infected sebaceous cyst. However, careful monitoring of patients with bleeding disorders or a tendency to form blood clots should be closely monitored. Large abscesses should be removed in the operating room under general anesthesia.
Laser treatment
Sebaceous cysts are benign skin lesions. Often they are removed on exposed parts of the body due to a cosmetic defect. The procedure is suitable for formations of small sizes up to 5 mm.
During laser removal of atheroma, a specialist burns out the entire contents of the wen with the capsule using radiation. The procedure takes no more than 20 minutes. The length of the formed scar is only about one third of the initial diameter of the cyst, and with some small lesions on the face, the scar is generally invisible. There are no relapses with laser removal of atheroma.
Surgery
Three main methods are used for surgical removal of atheroma: conventional wide excision, minimal excision, and biopsy. Let's consider them in more detail.
Wide excision
Complete excision is a method that allows you to completely remove the sebaceous cyst from surrounding tissues through an elliptical incision. This treatment is the gold standard. However, wide excision often leads to significant scarring compared with other methods of removal of atheromas.
Minimum excision
This method of surgical treatment consists in creating an incision of 2-3 mm, through which the contents of the cyst are removed. Small doses of anesthetic are used for pain relief. After cleansing the cavity from the contents of the cyst, the loosened capsule is removed through the same small hole. Bleeding during the procedure is minimal, the wounds heal quite quickly.
With minimal excision of the atheroma, scarring is almost not left. But there is a risk of the reappearance of a wen.
The method is suitable for large cysts that have never become inflamed. In this case, you can remove the entire capsule with a small incision and a faster healing time. In addition, for cysts located in open areas of the body, this method allows you to achieve good cosmetic results due to almost invisible scars.
Biopsy
This method is carried out in conjunction with laser excision. In this case, the laser makes a small hole through which the contents are removed. Removal of the outer walls of the cyst occurs after about 4 weeks. With this method of removing atheroma, a fairly quick healing occurs.
Regardless of the method chosen, the contents of the wen capsule are poisoned for laboratory testing.
Rehabilitation
After removing the atheroma, the doctor prescribes the use of an antibacterial ointment to prevent infection of the postoperative wound. It must be used until the incision heals completely. Your doctor may also prescribe a cream to reduce the risk of scars and keloid scars. It must be used immediately after healing of the joints and until complete resorption, as well as the disappearance of a cosmetic defect.
In some cases, slight swelling may occur after removal of the atheroma. After a while, he should go on his own. If the swelling does not go away, but rather increases, other symptoms also appeared, such as:
- redness of the area around the incision,
- discharge of pus after removal of drainage,
- temperature rise,
- the appearance or intensification of pain,
It is recommended that you seek qualified medical help immediately.
Complications
Any minimal risks exist after any operation. The same is the case with the removal of atheroma surgically. Here are some complications that can occur during and after the procedure:
- cyst rupture
- abscess,
- incomplete removal of the contents of atheroma or the capsule itself,
- blood clots,
- degeneration into oncological education.
A sebaceous cyst is considered unusual and may have signs of malignancy if the following characteristics appear:
- diameter more than five centimeters,
- fast relapse after opening,
- signs of infection, such as redness, pain, or pus.
Reviews
Surgical removal of atheroma is a fairly radical, but the most optimal method. Most patients who completely excised the sebaceous cyst did not experience relapses. However, due to the appearance of scars and scars after the removal of atheroma, the reviews are mixed. This method is not suitable for formations located in open areas of the body, for example, the face or neck.
Surgical removal of atheroma is performed through an external incision, which inevitably leads to the formation of a scar. But there are alternatives. If the formation is small, you can resort to the removal of atheroma with a laser. Reviews on this procedure are positive. The operation is fairly quick, and there are practically no scars and scars. Many note that the rehabilitation period also goes much faster.
Regardless of whether the atheroma is removed with a laser or excised surgically, all patients will recover completely.