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Tumors: Dermoid Cysts
A dermoid cyst is a sac-like growth (that may feel rubbery) made up of a mass of different kinds of skin-related cells, including mature hair, teeth, sweat glands and skin tissue. Because they do contain mature tissue, dermoid cysts are almost always benign.
Dermoid cysts occur in a variety of places. In children, they usually appear on the face and inside the skull, and rarely, in the brain or nasal sinuses. Often, they are located under or near the outside tip of either eyebrow, and they may also be found in the tongue, under the tongue, etc.
They may not be immediately recognized. An abnormal mass of cells may remain hidden or partially concealed before anyone notices anything out of the ordinary. A child will often be impervious to the mass as well, until it reaches a size or moves into a position where it displaces other structures or touches a nerve, causing discomfort and/or pain.
The first line of treatment is surgical removal of the entire mass and restoration of structure and appearance, as needed.
In most cases, no one is sure what stimulates the process of cyst formation-that is, why it occurs in one person and not in another. We do understand the mechanism involved in the process-incorrect gene instructions cause rapid cell growth in areas where it isn't needed or wanted and cysts, bony tumors or soft tissue tumors result. It isn't likely that these conditions are passed from parent to child, but happen on an individual basis due to malfunctioning genes.