Dermoid Cyst Of The Floor Of The Mouth

ABSTRACT

Dermoid cyst has evolved to represent any cyst filled with sebumlike and with evidence of specialized skin derivatives from defective embryonic development. Approximately 7% of all dermoid cyst arise in the head and neck region and 0.01% of all oral cysts. The anterior region of the floor of the mouth is the most common site of occurrence in the oral cavity. There is no sex predilection and the age at presentation is usually in the second or third decades. Clinically, the lesions present as a rubbery or doughy mass that vary in size from a few millimeters to 12 cm. An intraoral dermoid cyst usually presents as a slowly growing, painless swelling in the anterior floor of the mouth which may eventually cause elevation and displacement of the tongue resulting in dysphonia, dysphagia and dyapnea. Treatment involves surgical removal and recurrences have not been reported. We report three cases of dermoid cyst that were cared successfully in the department of dentistry, Kyung-pook National University. One case is a sublingual type, another case is a geniohyoid type, and the other is a lateral type.