Can I Stick a Needle in a Sebaceous Cyst? No — and Here’s Why

A sebaceous cyst is almost as tempting to pop as a pimple — but hold that thought before you do.

Popping a sebaceous cyst at home by yourself could increase your risk for inflammation, infection, and discomfort. In short, this is a cyst your doctor is better off removing.

Keep reading to find out more about sebaceous cysts and how you should and shouldn’t treat them.

The term sebaceous cyst can be misleading. These cysts don’t arise from sebaceous (sweat) glands, but instead from cells above a hair follicle known as the infundibulum.

For this reason, doctors now commonly call them epidermoid cysts. Some ways to recognize these cysts include:

• Location. These cysts are most commonly found on the face, neck, abdomen, and back.
• Compressibility. You can usually press on the cyst, and it’ll move toward the skin.
• Center appearance. The cyst may have a visible opening in its center that’s usually black in color. Doctors call this area a punctum.
• Contents. If a sebaceous cyst accidentally ruptures, it’ll likely release a foul-smelling, thick, yellow substance that’s a combination of fats and proteins.

Men are twice as likely to have sebaceous cysts than women. Those ages 30 to 40 are also most likely to have this type of cyst.

Share on PinterestInflamed sebaceous cyst. Photography courtesy of Steven Fruitsmaak/Wikimedia

Epidermoid or sebaceous cysts are inclusion cysts. This means they have a capsule around the cyst.

If you don’t remove the capsule or cell wall in its entirety, it’s likely that the cyst will grow back. Also, the cell wall tends to grow back thicker after an attempted partial removal or rupture, making the cyst harder to remove at a later time.

Removing the cyst at home also increases your risk of scarring. Doctors will use special techniques to try to reduce this likelihood.

Risk of infection

But the possibility the cyst could return is just one of the reasons you shouldn’t remove one yourself. Another reason is the risk of infection.

Doctors use sterile instruments and clean techniques to prevent infections, and attempting to remove the cyst at home can make you more vulnerable to them.

If you have a sebaceous cyst, there is some risk that you can disturb it through everyday activities. This includes your clothes rubbing against the cyst or accidentally hitting the cyst on a hard surface. This often depends on where your cyst is located.

If you have a cyst that appears inflamed, some of your at-home treatment options include:

• Warm compresses. Applying a warm compress to the cyst may help to reduce redness and discomfort.
• Cleaning the affected area. Cleaning the affected area with mild soap and water can help minimize the risk of bacteria entering the cyst. You don’t necessarily have to apply a bandage to the area — just keeping it clean and dry can help.
• Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. If the cyst is painful, taking OTC pain relievers such as ibuprofen can help reduce symptoms.

The most common method a doctor will use to remove the cyst is surgical excision, or complete removal.

Typically, your doctor will only remove a cyst if it’s not infected. Otherwise, it can be difficult for them to determine the cyst’s edges.

If the cyst is infected, your doctor may inject antibiotics into the cyst and recommend waiting to remove it until the infection has subsided.

The removal process

Unless the sebaceous cyst is very large in size, your doctor can usually remove it in their office. To remove the cyst, they typically follow this process:

1. Inject the cyst with a local anesthetic to reduce pain and minimize bleeding.
2. Use a cutting device, such as a scalpel, to remove the cyst. What’s most important is to remove the cyst with its wall intact (not ruptured). This approach will reduce the likelihood that the cyst will return.
3. Sew the incision closed with stitches to minimize scarring and promote healing.

Some doctors will use a different approach to remove the sebaceous cyst, which involves using a special device that creates a punch biopsy. This tool has a circular cutting end where your doctor can remove the cyst evenly.

You should see your doctor if you experience the following symptoms related to a sebaceous cyst:

• pain
• redness
• swelling
• warmth to the touch

These symptoms may indicate that your cyst has become infected and requires treatment. Although it’s tempting, remember to avoid manipulating or squeezing the cyst.

If you’ve had a sebaceous cyst removed, follow your doctor’s instructions to keep the area clean and dry. If you have infection symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.

Cancer risk

For the most part, sebaceous cysts are benign (noncancerous). In very rare instances, they can become cancerous.

For example, squamous cell carcinoma, a rare type of skin cancer that often begins on the eyelid, can arise in a sebaceous cyst.

If you notice changes in the cyst’s appearance, including any of the following, talk with your doctor:

• bleeding
• oozing
• color changes
• swelling

Sebaceous cysts are rarely a medical concern, but they can be a cosmetic one and are sometimes uncomfortable.

If you have a sebaceous cyst that you’re concerned about, speak with your doctor about potential removal options. To minimize your infection risk, don’t try to do it yourself at home.

Leaving sebaceous cyst removal to your doctor will increase the likelihood that the cyst will not return.

Can I Stick a Needle in a Sebaceous Cyst? No — and Here’s Why

A sebaceous cyst is almost as tempting to pop as a pimple — but hold that thought before you do.

Popping a sebaceous cyst at home by yourself could increase your risk for inflammation, infection, and discomfort. In short, this is a cyst your doctor is better off removing.

Keep reading to find out more about sebaceous cysts and how you should and shouldn’t treat them.

The term sebaceous cyst can be misleading. These cysts don’t arise from sebaceous (sweat) glands, but instead from cells above a hair follicle known as the infundibulum.

For this reason, doctors now commonly call them epidermoid cysts. Some ways to recognize these cysts include:

• Location. These cysts are most commonly found on the face, neck, abdomen, and back.
• Compressibility. You can usually press on the cyst, and it’ll move toward the skin.
• Center appearance. The cyst may have a visible opening in its center that’s usually black in color. Doctors call this area a punctum.
• Contents. If a sebaceous cyst accidentally ruptures, it’ll likely release a foul-smelling, thick, yellow substance that’s a combination of fats and proteins.

Men are twice as likely to have sebaceous cysts than women. Those ages 30 to 40 are also most likely to have this type of cyst.

Share on PinterestInflamed sebaceous cyst. Photography courtesy of Steven Fruitsmaak/Wikimedia

Epidermoid or sebaceous cysts are inclusion cysts. This means they have a capsule around the cyst.

If you don’t remove the capsule or cell wall in its entirety, it’s likely that the cyst will grow back. Also, the cell wall tends to grow back thicker after an attempted partial removal or rupture, making the cyst harder to remove at a later time.

Removing the cyst at home also increases your risk of scarring. Doctors will use special techniques to try to reduce this likelihood.

Risk of infection

But the possibility the cyst could return is just one of the reasons you shouldn’t remove one yourself. Another reason is the risk of infection.

Doctors use sterile instruments and clean techniques to prevent infections, and attempting to remove the cyst at home can make you more vulnerable to them.

If you have a sebaceous cyst, there is some risk that you can disturb it through everyday activities. This includes your clothes rubbing against the cyst or accidentally hitting the cyst on a hard surface. This often depends on where your cyst is located.

If you have a cyst that appears inflamed, some of your at-home treatment options include:

• Warm compresses. Applying a warm compress to the cyst may help to reduce redness and discomfort.
• Cleaning the affected area. Cleaning the affected area with mild soap and water can help minimize the risk of bacteria entering the cyst. You don’t necessarily have to apply a bandage to the area — just keeping it clean and dry can help.
• Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. If the cyst is painful, taking OTC pain relievers such as ibuprofen can help reduce symptoms.

The most common method a doctor will use to remove the cyst is surgical excision, or complete removal.

Typically, your doctor will only remove a cyst if it’s not infected. Otherwise, it can be difficult for them to determine the cyst’s edges.

If the cyst is infected, your doctor may inject antibiotics into the cyst and recommend waiting to remove it until the infection has subsided.

The removal process

Unless the sebaceous cyst is very large in size, your doctor can usually remove it in their office. To remove the cyst, they typically follow this process:

1. Inject the cyst with a local anesthetic to reduce pain and minimize bleeding.
2. Use a cutting device, such as a scalpel, to remove the cyst. What’s most important is to remove the cyst with its wall intact (not ruptured). This approach will reduce the likelihood that the cyst will return.
3. Sew the incision closed with stitches to minimize scarring and promote healing.

Some doctors will use a different approach to remove the sebaceous cyst, which involves using a special device that creates a punch biopsy. This tool has a circular cutting end where your doctor can remove the cyst evenly.

You should see your doctor if you experience the following symptoms related to a sebaceous cyst:

• pain
• redness
• swelling
• warmth to the touch

These symptoms may indicate that your cyst has become infected and requires treatment. Although it’s tempting, remember to avoid manipulating or squeezing the cyst.

If you’ve had a sebaceous cyst removed, follow your doctor’s instructions to keep the area clean and dry. If you have infection symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.

Cancer risk

For the most part, sebaceous cysts are benign (noncancerous). In very rare instances, they can become cancerous.

For example, squamous cell carcinoma, a rare type of skin cancer that often begins on the eyelid, can arise in a sebaceous cyst.

If you notice changes in the cyst’s appearance, including any of the following, talk with your doctor:

• bleeding
• oozing
• color changes
• swelling

Sebaceous cysts are rarely a medical concern, but they can be a cosmetic one and are sometimes uncomfortable.

If you have a sebaceous cyst that you’re concerned about, speak with your doctor about potential removal options. To minimize your infection risk, don’t try to do it yourself at home.

Leaving sebaceous cyst removal to your doctor will increase the likelihood that the cyst will not return.

Atheroma of the skin (trichodermal cyst) in Kyiv – private clinic Oberig. Skin atheroma (trichodermal cyst)

Atheroma (from the Greek atheroma, athera – gruel and oma – tumor) is a tumor-like formation related to epithelial skin cysts, which are divided into several types depending on their histological structure (retention cyst of the sebaceous glands of the skin (formed as a result of blockage of the excretory duct of the gland), epidermal cyst, trichilemmal cyst, multiple steatocystoma). According to their clinical manifestations and treatment, they are almost equivalent, therefore in clinical practice they are called atheromas.

Atheroma is a round, encapsulated mass filled with thick white or yellowish masses, often foul-smelling. The content of atheroma is the protein keratin, which is produced by its walls.

Atheromas occur in 5-10% of the population. They can be sporadic or hereditary (however, despite research, it has not yet been possible to identify the genes responsible for the occurrence of atheromas). They are more common in women than in men, and also in middle-aged people compared to young people.

SYMPTOMS, COURSE

It can occur in any part of the body, but the predominant localization is the scalp, face, back, neck, genital area.

On the head, single atheromas occur in 30% of cases, multiple in 70%, and 10% of patients may have more than 10 atheromas.

Patients complain of a tumor-like formation, superficially located, densely elastic, usually well mobile (partially displaced by finger pressure), painless. The skin over the formation is most often not changed, but with inflammation it may be red, and sometimes, with rapid growth, the skin over the atheroma may ulcerate. In some cases, an enlarged obstructed excretory duct of the sebaceous gland is visible on the skin near the center of the formation. The tumor may remain small for many years or grow larger. Sometimes atheroma communicates with the surface of the skin through a small hole, through which cheesy white or yellowish masses can be separated, usually with an unpleasant odor.

Differential diagnosis is carried out with soft tissue tumors (fibromas, lipomas, dermoid cysts, osteomas).

COMPLICATIONS

Atheromas often suppurate, with reddening of the skin, pain in the area of ​​the tumor, swelling or increase in size. A festering atheroma, if left untreated, can spontaneously break out, while pus is released with greasy contents and an unpleasant odor. It is also possible to spread the infection to surrounding tissues with the development of phlegmon. With suppuration, urgent surgical intervention is required, which consists in opening and draining the abscess. The cosmetic results of such an intervention are much worse than planned operations, since the skin incision is not sutured in this case, but heals by secondary intention with the formation of a rough scar. In addition, under conditions of purulent fusion, it is not always possible to completely remove the atheroma capsule, which can lead to tumor recurrence in the future. In some cases, antibiotics have to be used.

A rare complication of atheroma is its injury, in which the cyst may rupture into the subcutaneous tissue or outward, which also requires urgent surgical treatment. Very rarely, atheroma can transform into a malignant neoplasm.

TREATMENT

The method of treatment for atheromas is only surgical removal of the entire tumor together with the capsule. None of the international guidelines describe other methods of treatment.

The operation is usually performed under local anesthesia (lidocaine or novocaine). There are several ways to remove atheromas, a mandatory element of each of them is the removal of the skin area associated with the tumor and the complete removal of the entire tumor capsule. Most often, atheroma is removed by making an incision over the tumor and either the tumor is excised without opening its lumen, or the capsule is removed after removal of the contents of the tumor (in order to reduce the size of the skin incision). The minimum incision from which atheroma can be removed is 3-4 mm. In the West, it is common to remove atheromas with the help of biopsy instruments, with the help of which a round area of ​​skin over an atheroma with a diameter of 3-5 mm is removed, followed by removal of the capsule. The wound is then sutured. The sutures are removed 7-10 days after the intervention. The patient is forbidden to wet the operation area for 48 hours, the wound should be treated daily with betadine or other antiseptic. On the head, a bandage on the wound is not needed in most cases; on other parts of the body, bandages are usually required, as the wound rubs against clothing. When the tumor is localized in the scalp, a small amount of hair is cut off, usually no more than the size of the tumor, so in most cases the fact that the operation has been done is not noticeable to others.

I would like to dispel the existing misconceptions regarding the removal of atheromas without surgical intervention. Removal of atheroma with a laser or radio wave (what we do in our clinic) scalpel is a surgical intervention, the same as a traditional operation with a conventional scalpel and other surgical instruments. Indeed, during the intervention, it is necessary to remove the atheroma capsule, and this cannot be done without a skin incision. In addition, atheroma is associated with the skin, so when removing the tumor, it is necessary to separate it from the skin. A neat and minimally short skin incision made in the right direction (along the lines of force of the skin) and then closed with a cosmetic suture or a special plaster heals equally well whether it is made with a sharp scalpel or a radio wave knife. The laser and radio wave scalpel help to remove the capsule from the surrounding tissues with minimal trauma and bleeding.

Thus, atheroma (trichodermal cyst) is removed only surgically, with the help of surgical instruments and (possibly as an auxiliary instrument) a laser or a radio wave scalpel. Advertising removal of atheromas without surgery is unfair. Radicality (lack of recurrence) is ensured by the complete removal of the capsule. The cosmetic result is provided not by an instrument (laser or radio waves), but by the correct technique of the operation and the correct suturing or closing of the wound, as well as the individual characteristics of the patient’s skin.

Call:

(044) 521 30 03

Suppurated atheroma | Surgery | Diseases

Suppurated atheroma | Surgery | Diseases

1. Main
2. Diseases
3. Surgery
4. Suppurated atheroma

Atheroma – benign I am a tumor that belongs to epithelial cysts. It is more common on the head and face. The cause of this tumor (cyst) is a blockage of the duct of these sebaceous glands. There are few external differences between atheroma, so it is very often confused with fibromas, lipomas, hygromas, etc. Atheroma is painless, grows slowly and rarely reaches large sizes. It has a very low risk of malignant transformation.

When atheroma becomes inflamed

When pathogenic bacteria enter the cyst cavity, inflammation can begin. Symptoms are:

• cyst increase in size, swelling,

• reddening of the skin over and near atheroma,

• general deterioration of the condition, fever.

When any of these symptoms appear, inflammation of atheroma can turn into suppuration, atheroma breaks out and the contents come out.

The most serious complication is phlegmon – diffuse inflammation of the subcutaneous layer. Without proper treatment, the consequences can be very serious.

Treatment of suppuration of atheroma in Lipetsk

In case of suppuration, it is necessary to surgically open the atheroma, clean it from the remnants of the contents and pus, and rinse with an antiseptic solution.

After removal of atheroma, separate absorbable sutures are applied to the subcutaneous tissue. After removal of large atheromas, thin semi-drainages are installed, which are removed for 1-2 days. Intradermal sutures are applied to the skin, which dissolve on their own after 3 months. Removal of sutures is usually not required.
The operation ends with the application of a tight bandage or patch, after which the patient can go home, following simple recommendations. After the operation, the patient is prescribed analgesics that do not affect the blood coagulation system. In the case of removal of festering atheroma, it may be necessary to take systemic antibiotics.

A significant problem in the treatment of festering atheroma is the impossibility of completely removing it. Due to inflammation, it can be difficult to locate and peel the capsule. Therefore, in such a situation, they are limited to simple cleaning. After 1-2 months, when the inflammation has already been removed, a second operation is required for the final removal of the capsule. If this is not done, then there is a high probability of re-development of atheroma in the same place.

abscess and phlegmon require serious treatment. Their treatment requires the systematic use of local and systemic antibiotics.

Prevention of atheroma formation

For prevention purposes, it is recommended for oily skin, as well as for acne, to effectively wash the face, perform cosmetic cleansing of the skin of the face. It is important to avoid foods rich in animal fats and carbohydrates.

Timely removal of atheroma by Andromeda Clinic surgeons will allow you to avoid complications and its inflammation, which are more difficult and rather painful to deal with. Be healthy!

+7 4742 515-911, 566-911

398000 Lipetsk,
st. Forge, 10 A

398000 Lipetsk,
st. Gogol, 60

+7 (4742) 515-911 , 566-911

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