ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Epidermal cyst is a common disease. The clinical and histo pathologic findings in patients with epidermal cysts are described. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose is to identify the clinical and histopathologic feastures of epidermal cysts. MEHTODS: We ealuated the clinical and histopathologie features of 11 cases which were diagnosed with epidermal cysts at the department of dermatology in Wonju Chist.an Hospital and Jeju Severance Dermatologic clinic for 13 years, from January 1980 to June 1992. RESULTS: The ratio of males to females was 1.9: 1 with male predominance. Age distribution at first visit was variable, ranging from to 85 years old. The mean age was 3.5 years old. The Duration of lesions was variable, ranging from a 3 days to 20 years, with the mean duration of 2.4 years. The most common site of lesions was the face(36%), followed by the trunk(18%), neck(13%), leg(13%), arm (8%), scalp(3%), scrotum(3%), vagina(3%), palm(1%) and fingers(1%). Histopathologically, 46 cases(41%) were ruptured. The most common stromal change was fibrosi followed by granulation tissue formation, giant cell, calcifiration, pilomatricoma like change, pigment, squamous eddy, bone formation and vessel proliferation. The most common cystic content was keiatinous material followed by parakeratotic cell, bacterial colony, calcification, cholesterol cleft, pigment and RBC. The most common cystic wall change was acanthosis followed by atrophy, hyperplasia, hyergranulosis, basalioma like change, parakeratosis and reticulation. CONCLUSION: Epidermal cysts are slowly growing tumors. They occur nost commonly on the face, trunk, neck, legs and arms. Histopathologically, they have a wall compose 1 of true epidermis. When an epidermal cyst ruptures, a foreignbody reaction with numerous multinu leated giant cells occurs.