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Relationship between sonographic and pathologic findings in epidermal inclusion cysts
Author(s) -
Lee Hak Soo,
Joo Kyung Bin,
Song Ho Taek,
Kim Yong Soo,
Park Dong Woo,
Park Choong Ki,
Lee Won Mi,
Park Yong Wook,
Koo Ja Hong,
Song Soon Young
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of clinical ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.272
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1097-0096
pISSN - 0091-2751
DOI - 10.1002/jcu.1052
Subject(s) - echogenicity , medicine , vascularity , ultrasound , color doppler , lesion , granulation tissue , radiology , epidermal cyst , pathology , ultrasonography , anatomy , surgery , wound healing
Purpose We evaluated the sonographic findings in epidermal inclusion cysts and related them to the pathologic findings. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the sonograms and pathology specimens of 24 patients with pathologically proven epidermal inclusion cysts. We evaluated the lesions for shape, size, internal echogenicity, posterior sound enhancement, and presence of color Doppler signals. We classified the masses into 5 sonographic types according to their internal echogenicity. The relationship between the sonographic types and the pathologic findings was examined. Results The masses were ovoid or spherical in 17 cases (71%), lobulated in 5 (21%), and tubular in 2 (8%). The longest diameter ranged from 1 to 6 cm (mean, 3.1 cm). Twenty‐three cases (96%) were associated with posterior sound enhancement. Color Doppler signals were absent in 20 cases, but some vascularity was noted in 4 ruptured epidermal cysts, in areas of granulation tissue. The most common sonographic type was a hypoechoic lesion with scattered echogenic reflectors (10 cases). Sonographic findings were related to the lamellation of keratin debris and the granulation tissue secondary to rupture. Most cases with a lobulated configuration (4 of 5) or color Doppler signals (4 of 4) were ruptured cysts. Conclusions Epidermal inclusion cysts most often appeared sonographically as a hypoechoic mass containing variable echogenic foci without color Doppler signals. Ruptured epidermal cysts, however, may have lobulated contours and show color Doppler signals, mimicking a solid mass. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 29:374–383, 2001