Dermoid cysts occur when skin and skin structures become trapped during fetal development in the line of embryonic closure. Dermoid originate from totipotent germ cells and contain mature skin structures like nail, cartilage,bone,hair,fatty tissue and sebum. Dermoid cysts are thin walled and grow slowly. These cystic teratomas are true hamartomas and nearly benign in nature.
They mostly occur in young age and most of the time in head and neck area. Location of dermoid cysts Head and neck area: most of the time it is on the forehead and on lateral angle of the eye, presents since birth and 1 to 4 cms in size and along suture line and adherent to periosteum and sometimes extends into cranium leading to dumbbell shape appearance. In the floor of the mouth or on the tongue or intralingual: It may produce difficulty in speech and deglutition and have got potential to turn in malignancy.…
