Skip to main content.

Dermoid Cysts

What are dermoid cysts?

A cyst is a closed sac that forms within the body. It may contain fluid, pus, some other tissue from the body, or foreign matter.

Dermoid cysts form in or on the skin, usually on the face near the eyebrow, on the scalp or on the chest over the collarbone. Rarely a dermoid cyst near the surface of the body extends below the skin and connects to deeper structures. Very rarely dermoid cysts develop in other areas of the body instead of in the skin.

Dermoid cysts are common in children. Most of the time they are painless and benign, which means they don't threaten your child's health. But they may become infected. Also, if the cyst is in a spot that's easy to see, you or your child may dislike the way it looks. Surgeons remove dermoid cysts to prevent infection and when you or your child wants it removed because of how it looks (cosmetic reasons). These cysts will not go away on their own.

Who gets dermoid cysts?

Any child may have a dermoid cyst. Dermoid cysts form while a baby develops in the mother's uterus. They occur when skin cells and other structures related to skin — like hair, sweat glands, oil glands or fatty tissue — get trapped in a pocket as the fetus grows. Even though the cyst is congenital, or present at birth, sometimes the family and child do not see it until later childhood or early adulthood because these cysts grow slowly.

What are the symptoms?

In most cases, the only symptom is a lump that you can see or feel under the skin. If a dermoid cyst gets infected, it may hurt and may become swollen and red. The infection may cause a fever. An infected cyst may burst.

How do you diagnose dermoid cysts?

The doctor will examine your child, feel the lump and ask questions about it, such as when you first found it and how fast it's growing. Usually this is all the doctor needs to diagnose a dermoid cyst. If the doctor thinks your child's cyst may extend into deeper structures, your child will need an X-ray, CT scan (short for "computed tomography scan" and sometimes said "cat scan") or MRI to check for this.

What is your experience with dermoid cysts at Children's?

We treat many children with dermoid cysts at Children's. Our surgeons are experienced at performing the operation to remove the cyst as a simple outpatient procedure. Depending on the location and depth of the cyst, many children have their cysts removed by our pediatric surgeons, while others may see our plastic surgeons or neurosurgeons. Our surgeons will help decide who is best suited to do your child's surgery.

When you come to Children's, you have a team of people to care for your child before, during and after surgery. Along with your child's surgeon, you are connected with nurses, child life specialists and others. We work together to meet all of your child's health needs and help your family through this experience.

Since 1907, Children's has been treating children only. Our team members are trained in their fields and also in meeting the unique needs of children. For example, the doctors who give your child anesthesia are board certified in pediatric anesthesiology. This means they have extra years of training in how to take care of kids. Our child life specialists know how to help children understand their illnesses and treatments in ways that make sense for their age. Our expertise in pediatrics truly makes a difference for our patients and families.

How do you treat dermoid cysts?

The only treatment for a dermoid cyst is to remove it through surgery. Your child will have general anesthesia. This means we will give your child medicine to make them sleep without pain during the surgery. The surgeon will make a small cut, or incision, in the skin over the cyst, remove the cyst and close the incision. The surgery takes about an hour or less, and your child will be in the recovery room for another hour. Your child will be able to go home later the same day.

We will give your child pain medicine to make them comfortable. You'll need to keep the incision clean and dry until it heals. The surgery team will teach you how to care for the incision and what to give your child at home for pain, and will tell you whether you need to limit your child's activity for a while.

About two to three weeks after surgery, your child will need to see the surgeon for a follow-up visit. The surgeon will make sure the incision is healing and your child is recovering well.

Resources

Read more about what to expect when your child visits a clinic at Children's, has surgery here or needs to stay in the hospital. You can get practical details about topics like what to do and bring the day of surgery and who will be on your child's care team. You can also take a virtual tour of our surgery rooms and other parts of the hospital.

To learn more about this condition, you may want to visit our resource list.