Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026
Role of Diffusion MRI Tractography in Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery
Published on: July 5, 2021
Pediatric dermoid cysts of the head and neck
Shepherd G Pryor1, Jean E Lewis, Amy L Weaver
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Objective:
To review the characteristics and determine treatment outcomes of pediatric dermoid cysts.
Study Design And Setting:
Retrospective review of the presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of all pediatric dermoid cysts of the head and neck examined between 1980 and 2002 at Mayo Clinic.
Results:
Forty-nine patients (59% girls) had a dermoid cyst of the head and neck. The median age at diagnosis was 22 months. The most common presenting sign was a palpable mass, noted in 100% of patients. During evaluation, approximately 25 patients (51%) had imaging studies. The most common location of the cysts was periorbital (61%), followed by the neck (18%; including 1 submental cyst). Various surgical approaches were chosen. In 2 patients (4%), the dermoid cyst had an intracranial extension. Only 1 patient experienced recurrence. The median pathologic diameter of the cysts was 1.2 cm.
Conclusions:
Dermoid cysts are unusual neoplasms that often present in childhood, with the orbit being the area most commonly affected in the head and neck region. Imaging studies help rule out an intracranial or intraorbital extension. With complete excision, recurrence is unusual. Significance Our review will assist both primary care physicians and subspecialists in diagnosing and treating dermoid cysts.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Cranial Bones: Lateral View
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
01:27Cryptococcal Meningitis
01:18Anatomy of the Brain: Ventricles
01:26Brain Abscess l: Introduction
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...