eMedicine Specialties > Dermatology > Benign Neoplasms

Pilar Cyst: Follow-up

Author: Anne Laumann, MB, ChB, MRCP(UK), FAAD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Coauthor(s): Jenneé A Rommel, MD, Resident Physician, Combined Internal Medicine/Dermatology Residency Program, Washington Hospital Center, Georgetown University School of Medicine; Marjan Mirzabeigi, MD, Fellow in Dermatopathology, Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Mar 25, 2009

Follow-up

Complications

  • Cysts may become tender and infected. A course of oral antibiotics may be indicated before and/or after surgical excision.
  • Cysts may exude contents and form a cutaneous horn.
  • Cysts may be traumatized when combing or brushing hair.
  • Cysts are benign, and malignant transformation is exceedingly rare.

Prognosis

  • Pilar cysts are benign. Treatment is by surgical removal.
 
Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous author, Mohsin Ali, MBBS, FRCP, MRCP, to the development and writing of this article. The authors and editors of eMedicine also gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous Chief Editor, William D. James, MD, to the development and writing of this article.



More on Pilar Cyst

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Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Pilar Cyst
Treatment & Medication: Pilar Cyst
Follow-up: Pilar Cyst
Multimedia: Pilar Cyst
References
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References

  1. Casas JG, Woscoff A. Giant pilar tumor of the scalp. Arch Dermatol. Dec 1980;116(12):1395. [Medline].

  2. Al-Khateeb TH, Al-Masri NM, Al-Zoubi F. Cutaneous cysts of the head and neck. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. Jan 2009;67(1):52-7. [Medline].

  3. Wolff K, Johnson RA, Suurmond D. Miscellaneous Cysts and Pseudocysts. In: Seils A, Englis MR, eds. Fitzpatrick's Color Atlas & Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2005:200.

  4. Leppard BJ, Sanderson KV, Wells RS. Hereditary trichilemmal cysts. Hereditary pilar cysts. Clin Exp Dermatol. Mar 1977;2(1):23-32. [Medline].

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  6. Kirkham N. Tumors and Cysts of the Epidermis. In: Elder DE, Elenitsas R, Johnson BL, Murphy GF, Xu X, eds. Lever's Histopathology of the Skin. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2004:694-7.

  7. Cotton DW, Kirkham N, Young BJ. Immunoperoxidase anti-keratin staining of epidermal and pilar cysts. Br J Dermatol. Jul 1984;111(1):63-8. [Medline].

  8. Valencia TD, Swanson NA, Lee KK. Benign Epithelial Tumors, Hamartomas, and Hyperplasias. In: Wolff K, Goldsmith LA, Katz SI, Gilchrest B, Paller AS, Leffell DJ, eds. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. Vol 1. 7th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2008:1064-5.

  9. Ivan D, Bengana C, Lazar AJ, Diwan AH, Prieto VG. Merkel cell tumor in a trichilemmal cyst: collision or association?. Am J Dermatopathol. Apr 2007;29(2):180-3. [Medline].

  10. Su W, Kheir SM, Berberian B, Cockerell CJ. Merkel cell carcinoma in situ arising in a trichilemmal cyst: a case report and literature review. Am J Dermatopathol. Oct 2008;30(5):458-61. [Medline].

  11. Eiberg H, Hansen L, Hansen C, Mohr J, Teglbjaerg PS, Kjaer KW. Mapping of hereditary trichilemmal cyst (TRICY1) to chromosome 3p24-p21.2 and exclusion of beta-CATENIN and MLH1. Am J Med Genet A. Feb 15 2005;133A(1):44-7. [Medline].

  12. Hanau D, Grosshans E. Trichilemmal cyst with intrinsic parietal sebaceous and apocrine structures. Clin Exp Dermatol. Sep 1980;5(3):351-5. [Medline].

  13. Mehrabi D, Leonhardt JM, Brodell RT. Removal of keratinous and pilar cysts with the punch incision technique: analysis of surgical outcomes. Dermatol Surg. Aug 2002;28(8):673-7. [Medline].

  14. Satyaprakash AK, Sheehan DJ, Sangueza OP. Proliferating trichilemmal tumors: a review of the literature. Dermatol Surg. Sep 2007;33(9):1102-8. [Medline].

  15. McGavran MH, Binnington B. Keratinous cysts of the skin. Identification and differentiation of pilar cysts from epidermal cysts. Arch Dermatol. Oct 1966;94(4):499-508. [Medline].

  16. Pinkus H. "Sebaceous cysts" are trichilemmal cysts. Arch Dermatol. May 1969;99(5):544-55. [Medline].

  17. Rook A, Wilkinson DS, Ebling FJG, et al, eds. Trichilemmal cyst. In: Textbook of Dermatology. Vol 2. 6th ed. London, England: Blackwell Science; 1998:1667-8.

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Further Reading

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Keywords

pilar cysts, trichilemmal cysts, scalp cysts, benign cysts, keratinizing cyst, proliferating pilar cysts, proliferating pilar tumor

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Anne Laumann, MB, ChB, MRCP(UK), FAAD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Anne Laumann, MB, ChB, MRCP(UK), FAAD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, Association of Professors of Dermatology, Chicago Dermatological Society, Chicago Medical Society, Illinois Dermatological Society, Illinois State Medical Society, Illinois State Medical Society, Medical Dermatology Society, and Society for Investigative Dermatology
Disclosure: Boerhinger-Ingelheim Consulting fee Consulting; Pfizer Consulting fee Consulting; Astellas Consulting fee Consulting; Alza J and J Grant/research funds Other; Amgen Grant/research funds Other; Basilea Grant/research funds Other; OSI Pharmaceuticals  Other; Centocor Grant/research funds Other; Lilly-ICOS Grant/research funds Other; Bavarian Nordic Grant/research funds Other

Coauthor(s)

Jenneé A Rommel, MD, Resident Physician, Combined Internal Medicine/Dermatology Residency Program, Washington Hospital Center, Georgetown University School of Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Marjan Mirzabeigi, MD, Fellow in Dermatopathology, Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University
Marjan Mirzabeigi, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society for Clinical Pathology and College of American Pathologists
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

R Stan Taylor, MD, Professor of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School; Director of Skin Surgery and Oncology Clinic, Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
R Stan Taylor, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American College of Mohs Surgery, American Dermatological Association, American Medical Association, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Christian Medical & Dental Society, and Society for Investigative Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

David F Butler, MD, Professor of Dermatology, Texas A&M University College of Medicine; Chair, Department of Dermatology, Director, Dermatology Residency Training Program, Scott and White Clinic, Northside Clinic
David F Butler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, American Society for MOHS Surgery, Association of Military Dermatologists, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Jeffrey Meffert, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology, University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio
Jeffrey Meffert, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, Association of Military Dermatologists, and Texas Dermatological Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Catherine Quirk, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Brown University
Catherine Quirk, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Dirk M Elston, MD, Director, Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center
Dirk M Elston, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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