Each person begins to worry if tumors of any origin, densification or tumor appear on his body. A dermoid cyst is no exception, which has a thick-walled capsule, inside which is a liquid with various inclusions, for example, epithelium, hair, bone tissue, teeth, and so on. This neoplasm usually develops as a result of an embryogenesis disorder, therefore it consists of embryonic cells. Sometimes such a pathology develops after an injury.
Usually a cyst is not a danger to human health and life, but sometimes it can transform into a cancerous tumor. Therefore, doctors recommend surgical removal of the pathology.
Description and description of the problem
A dermoid cyst or teratoma is a cavity tumor that has a capsule of connective tissue, the walls of which are lined with a multilayer epithelium. Inside the capsule contains liquid with various elements: hair, epithelium, nails and others. In medicine, cases have been recorded when sections of the intestines, bronchi, extremities, eyes and jaws were contained in the capsule of the cyst. The neoplasm is most often benign, but in some cases it can degenerate into cancer, which will metastasize (in 3% of cases).
A dermoid cyst, the photo of which is presented below, can form anywhere, it grows over time and begins to put pressure on neighboring organs. Therefore, doctors recommend removing such a formation. Often a cyst is formed on the tailbone, ovaries in women, testicles in men, mediastinum and other organs. Usually the disease does not show any signs. The size of the cyst can reach the size of a nut. Depending on what is in it, a dense and soft neoplasm is distinguished. According to ICD 10, this disease ranges from D10 to D36.
Epidemiology
The cyst is formed in the prenatal period. Its development is influenced by negative factors during pregnancy. Often diagnosed as a dermoid cyst in a child (in 31% of cases). It usually develops in the eye area, on the skin of the eyebrows. Sometimes pathology is formed on the nose, head, chest, in the scrotum, tailbone and sacrum. In the latter case, the formation can reach enormous size without affecting the bones. Such a pathology often causes deformation in children of internal organs, which can lead to death. Also often diagnosed is a dermoid cyst on the head, in particular on its hairline.
In adults, pathology develops equally in men and women. It can manifest itself at any age, even in the prenatal period of development.
Causes of the disease
A dermoid cyst, the causes of which lie in the abnormal tissue fusion in the prenatal period of development, is a congenital anomaly. But the disease may not appear immediately, the cyst is often diagnosed after it significantly increases in size and provokes the development of vivid symptoms.
The exact causes of the disease are not known. Doctors tend to believe that a dermoid cyst of the cause of the appearance may have the following:
- Injuries, infections, the use of illegal drugs during pregnancy.
- Genetic and chromosomal mutations.
- Intoxication of the body with toxins and poisons.
- Abuse of bad habits.
- Bearing twins, one of which stops in development and merges with the other, becoming part of it.
Symptoms and signs
Typically, a dermoid cyst, the photo of which is published in this article, does not show symptoms. Often the disease is diagnosed with an instrumental examination for a different pathology. When a tumor is localized under the skin, it can be detected during a routine examination.
Signs of the disease begin to develop when the neoplasm reaches a large size, because of which it begins to compress nearby organs.
Dermoid ovarian cyst, the causes of which are described above, as well as the testicles, are accompanied by heaviness in the abdomen, pain during intercourse, frequent urination, constipation. In women, the menstrual cycle is disrupted, the body temperature rises. A cyst can be up to fifteen centimeters in size and is observed in young women. In the absence of proper treatment, it is possible to develop an inflammatory process in neighboring organs and the formation of squamous cell carcinoma.
The coccygeal cyst, which is diagnosed quite often, is accompanied by pain in the coccyx and the anus, pain during bowel movements, and the appearance of fistulas.
With a cervical cyst, a person has frequent breathing, choking, the skin acquires a bluish tint, and discomfort develops during swallowing. The cyst in this case is localized near the pharynx, it grows into the mucous membrane and skin. Sometimes you can find tumors that reach the size of a child’s head.
Intracranial neoplasm manifests itself in the form of headache, dizziness, nausea. The mediastinal dermoid cyst is manifested by respiratory failure, coughing, hemoptysis, hiccups and pain in the neck and shoulder. Neoplasm on the eyelid provokes visual impairment.
A cyst can be diagnosed by the following symptoms:
- rounded neoplasm;
- dense elastic consistency;
- palpation does not cause pain;
- integuments do not change their color, structure;
- slow progression.
With the development of cysts, the fetus of a pregnant woman can cause disorders of the structure and development of the skeleton, pathology of soft tissues. The earlier a tumor develops in him, the more disturbances will occur in his development.
Symptoms of this disease depend on the location of the cyst, its size and its effect on the surrounding tissues and organs. In childhood, the pathology rarely shows signs, since the cyst is often small. But doctors recommend removing the dermoid cyst in order to prevent the development of dangerous complications in the future.
Diagnostic measures
Usually, cysts are diagnosed during a physical examination. The doctor examines the patient, determines the size and location of the neoplasm. To determine the connection of cysts with body tissues, CT and MRI are used. These techniques also make it possible to examine any part of the body, including adipose, bone, and muscle tissue. If there is bone tissue inside the cyst, the doctor prescribes a radiography to obtain complete information about the neoplasm.
In some cases, a dermoid cyst is found in an embryo during an ultrasound scan during a woman’s pregnancy. But some forms of the disease appear only after the birth of a child or when he reaches an adult age. When diagnosing a neoplasm in the fetus, the doctor monitors the course of pregnancy, determines the causes of the development of the anomaly, prescribes laboratory blood tests.
When diagnosing the disease in children and adults, the doctor must send a consultation with an oncologist to determine the malignancy of the cyst. After the final diagnosis is made, appropriate treatment is prescribed.
Disease therapy
Dermoid cyst treatment involves only surgical, as there is a possibility of suppuration of tissues and impaired functionality of the compressed organs. The degree of surgical intervention depends on the shape, location of the neoplasm and the age of the patient. If the neoplasm is benign, only the cyst is removed, the internal organs are not affected.
Removal of the neoplasm is performed by opening it, completely cleansing and draining the cavity in case of suppuration. When inflammation passes, the capsule of the cyst is excised. Usually, a dermoid cyst is removed in half an hour, the operation at the same time takes place with minimal tissue damage. In severe cases, operations take longer. Often, women of reproductive age are removed part of the diseased ovary, and in severe cases, the uterus with appendages. For men, the affected testicle is removed. A big problem in this case is the possibility of having children in the future. Sometimes a doctor ascribes hormonal drugs to restore sexual function.
The most effective surgical techniques are laparoscopy, laser therapy and endoscopy. After the dermoid cyst has been removed, the patient may return home in a few days.
Therapy of this disease always has a good outcome and is one of the safest surgical interventions. But with untimely treatment, relapse may occur. With the development of the inflammatory process, the cyst is necessarily opened, cleaned of pus and only after the inflammation has been removed, it is removed. If the removal was successful, the test results are good, the doctor conducts only periodic monitoring to assess the patient's condition.
Treatment of malignant cysts
With the spread of metastases, chemotherapy is used, after which many patients feel better. The choice of chemotherapy method will depend on the location of the tumor and metastasis, its type and size. For this, it is examined using a microscope. After treatment, blood elements and kidney activity are monitored. The course of therapy lasts about twelve weeks, in some cases it is repeated. Most often, it is possible to completely get rid of the neoplasm.
Cyst during pregnancy
Most often, the small size of the cysts that were discovered during the pregnancy of a woman behaves calmly, they do not harm the health of the woman and do not affect the development of the fetus. But with a large size of the neoplasm, torsion of the cyst legs is possible, which will provoke the development of inflammation. In this case, immediate surgical intervention is required.
With an education size of up to five centimeters, a pregnant woman is only watched. In the presence of large sizes of the cyst, she is operated on at the sixteenth week of pregnancy.
Complications and consequences
Cysts grow slowly, but constantly. Sometimes they can transform into cancerous growths. Complications of the coccygeal cyst almost always occur. In this case, there is a urination disorder, intestinal obstruction, skin necrosis, the appearance of fistulas. After surgery with incomplete removal of the neoplasm, a complication may occur after several years of life. A fistula with purulent inflammation forms.
When a tumor is localized in the abdominal cavity and pelvic organs, it can transform into squamous cell carcinoma. Such cysts contain deformed horny scales, which can become inflamed and suppurate. When the cyst ruptures, its contents enter the peritoneum, which causes the development of chronic inflammation. The most common complications are suppurations of neoplasms, which leads to the appearance of a strong pain syndrome and increases the risk of developing oncology.
Forecast
If the dermoid cyst is benign, the prognosis will be favorable. According to statistics, with coccygeal pathologies, about half of sick children die as a result of compression of the internal organs or rupture of the neoplasm during childbirth. Malignant cysts are often treated with chemotherapy, even when metastasis spreads. Only in isolated cases does a fatal outcome occur. But if the tumor is in the chest, the prognosis will be less favorable than with an ovarian or testicular cyst.
Prevention
There are no specific preventive measures for this pathology. Prevention should include the exclusion of the influence of negative factors on the pregnancy of a woman, it should proceed without complications. Doctors recommend eliminating all possible causes of the development of cysts. To do this, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, control medication, abandon bad habits.
It is recommended to periodically undergo examinations and pay attention to the appearance of pain and discomfort. With prolonged pain syndrome of any localization, it is necessary to consult a doctor, especially when this is accompanied by testicular deformity in the stronger sex, as well as heaviness in the lower abdomen in women.
In the human body when exposed to certain factors, both external and internal, various neoplasms can occur. Some may appear in old age, others are observed in children, and some are formed before birth. It is the latter that are called dermoid cysts, which are usually benign and easy to treat. The main thing is to timely identify the pathology and remove the neoplasm.