Epidermal cyst mimicking incision line metastasis

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• Epidermal cysts are common benign skin tumors.
• Distant skin metastasis from gynecological cancers, like cervical cancer, is exceptionally rare.
• Post-surgical changes can sometimes mimic tumor recurrence or metastasis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a rare case of an epidermal cyst presenting as a mass at an incision site years after cervical cancer surgery.
• To emphasize the differential diagnosis between benign cysts and metastatic disease in cancer survivors.
• To highlight the importance of histopathological examination for accurate diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• Case report of a patient with a history of cervical cancer surgery.
• Clinical presentation of a mass at the surgical scar site.
• Histopathological examination of the excised mass.

Main Results:

• The mass was histopathologically diagnosed as an epidermal cyst, not a metastasis.
• The patient had a history of cervical cancer operation 11 years prior.
• The cyst mimicked incision line metastasis.

Conclusions:

• Epidermal cysts can rarely present in a manner that mimics metastatic cancer, even years after treatment.
• Accurate histopathological diagnosis is crucial to differentiate benign cysts from malignant lesions in post-cancer patients.
• Clinicians should maintain a broad differential diagnosis for subcutaneous masses in cancer survivors.