Did you recently notice a yellow or white lump on your skin? If so, there are higher chances that you have a sebaceous cyst. There are numerous types of cysts that can form on the skin and sebaceous is one of them. They are most commonly found on the neck, face, and torso. Though sebaceous cysts are usually not life-threatening, they can be problematic sometimes. Read below to understand everything about the sebaceous cyst, its origin, risks, and treatment.
Did you recently notice a yellow or white lump on your skin? If so, there are higher chances that you have a sebaceous cyst. ... Read More
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A sebaceous cyst is a slow-growing cyst that originates directly from the sebaceous glands. They are also known as epidermal cysts, keratin cysts, or epithelial cysts. They affect around 20% of adults and usually don’t exhibit symptoms like pain or tenderness. This type of cyst is also benign and non-cancerous in nature.
However, in some cases, sebaceous cysts can become infected, inflamed, or burst. As a result, you may have to seek treatment for sebaceous cysts.
To understand how sebaceous cysts form, you need to understand the function of sebaceous glands. These glands are present under the skin and produce oil called sebum. This oil coats the hair and skin. Most sebaceous glands are present around hair follicles, and some are also present on the open surface of the skin.
Sometimes, the duct (the passage from which the oil leaves the skin) gets damaged and blocked. The blockage can happen due to any reason, including a scratch, surgical wound, or even acne. As the cyst grows slowly, it usually becomes noticeable weeks or months after the cyst has formed.
When you squeeze the cyst, the fluid, i.e., sebum, comes out of it. Though they are generally harmless, if they become infected, the cyst will become red and start to swell. There might even be a foul-smelling discharge from the cyst. If such symptoms are present, it is advisable that you see a doctor and consult them.
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You can self-diagnose a sebaceous cyst if you know the symptoms it exhibits. For instance, you can evaluate its appearance. If the cyst appears as a bump on the skin with a small tip that looks like an opening, it may be a sebaceous cyst.
Other than appearance, you can also identify other characteristics of the cyst, i.e., it has a white discharge, and the cyst moves under the skin. The cyst may also have tenderness. However, through these symptoms, you can only assume that the cyst is a sebaceous cyst. For confirmation, it is important that you visit a specialist.
For the trained eyes of the doctor, sebaceous cysts are easy to identify solely by their appearance. Still, after physically examining the cyst, the doctor will suggest some pathological tests to confirm that the lump is a sebaceous cyst and not any other type of cyst.
The doctor will also recommend a biopsy to rule out the possibility of cancer.
The tests that help the doctor to accurately diagnose a sebaceous cyst are:
In some cases, the sebaceous cyst goes away on its own. However, there is also a possibility that the cyst will become infected. When the cyst gets infected, the skin will look red due to inflammation.
At this point, treatment is crucial to ensure that the infection from the cyst doesn’t spread further.
Infection is one of the major signs that a sebaceous cyst is possibly cancerous. Along with this, if the cyst grows larger than 5 cm, then it is considered severe, and treatment becomes critically necessary.
There is no certain preventative measure for sebaceous cysts. They can arise even if the sebaceous glands suffer from minor trauma. Or they may not arise at all, even if the ducts are damaged or blocked. Thus, you cannot do anything to prevent the cysts from developing. Moreover, they can also occur at any age. The only possible thing you can do is visit a specialist the moment you notice the lump.
You should consult a doctor if the cyst:
Sebaceous cyst removal surgery will cost you around Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 50,000 approximately based on the factors given below:
The cost is calculated after accounting for all these factors. During your consultation with the doctor, you can ask the doctor to give you an estimate of the cost of sebaceous cyst excision surgery.
Sebaceous cyst surgery is covered under all personal and corporate insurance policies. This is so because it has the potential to become cancerous. Therefore, the treatment expenses are covered by the insurance providers. You can use either the claim method or the reimbursement method to cover the expenses incurred during the treatment.
You should also understand that a 24-hour stay in the hospital is required to get approval for a claim against insurance.
The only thing you can do to prevent a sebaceous cyst is to make sure that your skin is not damaged. These cysts usually form when the sebaceous glands are damaged or blocked due to some kind of trauma in the skin tissues. Thus, when you ensure that the skin is intact, there will be minimal chances of getting a sebaceous cyst.
Yes. There are two possible ways to treat sebaceous cysts without surgery, i.e., drainage and steroid injections. However, these two methods are not that effective as the cyst wall is not removed during the procedure.
If the cyst bursts inside the body for some reason, the infection will spread to the body through the bloodstream. It may also increase the risks of blood poisoning or septicemia. If this happens, you will need immediate medical attention.
Once the pus is drained, The packing will need to be removed. Antibiotics may not be needed unless the infection has spread into the skin around the wound. The wound will take about 1 to 2 weeks to heal, depending on the size of the abscess.
Cysts left untreated can become very large and may eventually require surgical removal if they become uncomfortable. If you have a complete surgical removal, the cyst will most likely not return in the future.
The key difference between a sebaceous cyst and an epidermal cyst is that an epidermal cyst is filled with dead skin cells, whereas a sebaceous cyst is filled with yellowish or whitish oily material, i.e., sebum.
No. You should never try to pop a cyst yourself or with the help of another person. This can cause infection in the cyst, and you may also develop other dermatological problems due to that.
