A sebaceous cyst (atheroma or in common people a wen) is a benign formation consisting of a capsule with sebum inside. Atheroma can be located anywhere on the body. It often gets infected. But in the absence of inflammation, the formation is usually asymptomatic.
This formation is the result of blockage of the ducts of the sebaceous glands. Atheromas are very rare in children, but quite common in adults. The formations are mobile, grow slowly, have a rounded shape, are painless and are located in the subcutaneous tissues. Atheromas consist of a thin white capsule filled with keratinized material. Their size can vary from a few millimeters to 5 centimeters.
Sebaceous cysts are more properly called epidermal inclusion cysts. They are benign skin lesions. Education rarely requires intervention for medical necessity,therefore, they are most often removed for cosmetic reasons. If the cysts become inflamed, recur, or become so large that they interfere with the patient's normal life, they are recommended to be removed.
Atheromas do not pass by themselves. Their size may increase or decrease over time. But to completely get rid of such education, you need to contact a specialist.
Description
Sebaceous cysts are benign growths that are located just under the skin. They usually grow slowly and are not life threatening. Most atheromas look like a solid mobile subcutaneous nodule, rounded, yellow or white. The cyst contains a pasty mass composed of keratin and lipid. These substances are also found in the hair and the outer layer of the skin. Atheroma contents are often foul-smelling, which may be due to bacterial infection or decomposition, or due to their fat content.
Sebaceous cysts can occur anywhere on the body, but they are mostly found on the face, trunk and neck. Atheromas are harmless if they do not cause discomfort, pain, and also if inflammation does not occur. In other cases, it is recommended to take measures to combat sebaceous cysts. These can be hormonal injections, autopsy and drainage. There are also methods for removing atheroma: complete or partial excision and laser treatment. To prevent the occurrence of scars and infections, patients are not recommended to squeeze out atheromas or remove their contents on their own. Such procedures are carried out only by medicalemployee.
Reasons
Cysts are usually made up of fibrous and fatty substances. Formations can appear anywhere in the body. Most often they are located on the scalp, back, face (mainly on the chin), forearm. Also, atheromas can appear in the genital area. Most often, sebaceous cysts occur in men, and very rarely in women.
Atheromas are the result of the process of implantation of epidermal elements in the dermis. Several factors can lead to a sebaceous cyst, for example:
- poor personal hygiene;
- damage to hair follicles;
- blockage of pores due to the use of low-quality cosmetics;
- non-compliance with the diet, the abuse of sweet, spicy and fatty foods;
- injury to the sebaceous glands (scratches, surgical operations);
- acne;
- heredity (e.g. Gardner syndrome or basal cell nevus).
Treatment
An uninfected sebaceous cyst can be routinely removed by a surgeon for cosmetic and preventive purposes. Removal is the best method of treatment to help completely get rid of atheroma. However, it is worth remembering that when excising the formation, there is a risk of scarring. But if atheromas are not removed, but simply opened and pumped out, the recurrence of the cyst can hardly be avoided. In the absence of inflammation, the patient has the opportunity to choose a method of treatment: removal of atheroma surgically or with a laser.
The primary choice of treatment for an inflamed sebaceous cyst is incision and drainage. The sebum that is inside the formation is too thick to spontaneously come out. If you do not remove the entire capsule with keratin as a whole, then atheroma will appear again.
In some cases, the sebaceous cyst may rupture and the contents break out. In these cases, after opening and cleaning the atheroma cavity, the patient is prescribed antibiotics. They are needed to relieve inflammation and reduce pain. There are no absolute contraindications to opening and draining or removing an infected sebaceous cyst. However, patients with bleeding disorders or a tendency to form blood clots should be closely monitored. Large abscesses must be removed in the operating room under general anesthesia.
Laser treatment
Sebaceous cysts are benign skin lesions. Often they are removed on exposed parts of the body due to a cosmetic defect. The procedure is suitable for formations of small sizes up to 5 mm.
During laser removal of atheroma, the specialist burns out with the help of radiation the entire contents of the wen along with the capsule. The procedure takes no more than 20 minutes. The length of the resulting scar is only about one third of the original diameter of the cyst, and in some small lesions on the face, the scar is not visible at all. There are no relapses with laser removal of atheroma.
Surgery
There are three main methods used for the surgical removal of atheroma: conventional wideexcision, minimal excision and biopsy. Let's take a closer look at them.
Wide excision
Complete excision is a method that allows you to completely remove the sebaceous cyst from the surrounding tissues through an elliptical incision. This treatment is the gold standard. However, wide excision often results in significant scarring compared to other atheromas removal methods.
Minimum excision
This method of surgical treatment consists in creating a 2-3 mm incision through which the contents of the cyst are removed. Small doses of anesthetic are used for pain relief. After cleaning the cavity from the contents of the cyst, the loosened capsule is removed through the same small opening. Bleeding during the procedure is minimal and wounds heal fairly quickly.
With minimal excision of atheroma, there is practically no scarring left. But there is a risk of reappearance of the wen.
The method is suitable for large cysts that have never become inflamed. In such a case, the entire capsule can be removed with a minor incision and a faster healing time. In addition, for cysts located on open areas of the body, this method achieves good cosmetic results due to almost invisible scars.
Biopsy
This method is carried out in conjunction with laser excision. In this case, the laser makes a small hole through which the contents are removed. Removal of the outer walls of the cyst occurs after about 4 weeks. With this methodremoval of atheroma, a rather rapid healing occurs.
Regardless of the method chosen, the contents of the wen capsule are poisoned for laboratory testing.
Rehab
After surgical removal of atheroma, the doctor prescribes the use of an antibacterial ointment to prevent infection of the postoperative wound. It must be used until the incision is completely healed. The doctor may also prescribe a cream to reduce the risk of scars and keloids. It must be used immediately after the sutures have healed and until complete resorption, as well as the disappearance of the cosmetic defect.
In some cases, a slight swelling may occur after removal of atheroma. After a while, it should pass on its own. If the swelling does not go away, but rather increases, and other symptoms appear, such as:
- reddening of the area around the incision,
- pus discharge after removal of drainage,
- temperature increase,
- appearance or intensification of painful sensations,
Recommended to seek qualified medical attention immediately.
Complications
Any minimal risks exist after any operation. It is the same in the case of surgical removal of atheroma. Here are some complications that may occur during and after the procedure:
- cyst rupture,
- abscess,
- incomplete removal of the contents of atheroma or the capsule itself,
- blood clots,
- reborn into cancer education.
A sebaceous cyst is considered unusual and possibly malignant if the following characteristics appear:
- diameter over five centimeters,
- rapid relapse after autopsy,
- signs of infection such as redness, pain, or pus.
Reviews
Surgical removal of atheroma is a rather radical, but the most optimal method. The majority of patients in whom the sebaceous cyst was completely excised did not encounter relapses. However, due to the occurrence of scars and scars after removal of atheroma, reviews are mixed. This method is not suitable for formations located on open areas of the body, such as the face or neck.
Surgical removal of atheroma is performed through an external incision, which inevitably leads to the formation of a scar. But there are alternatives. If the formation is small, you can resort to laser removal of atheroma. Feedback on this procedure is positive. The operation is quite fast, and there are practically no scars and scars. Many note that the rehabilitation period also passes much faster.
Whether atheroma is removed with a laser or surgically excised, all patients recover completely.
