Surgical treatment of sebaceous cyst

Also called an epidermal cyst , a sebaceous cyst results from an accumulation of sebum. The sebum excretory ducts are blocked, so the sebum can no longer reach the surface of the skin and is no longer able to fulfill its role as a skin protector. This excess sebum will manifest itself by the appearance of a ball under the skin : the sebaceous cyst.

Be careful not to confuse a sebaceous cyst with a lipoma . Unlike a lipoma, a cyst is not made of fat .

Mainly found on the face , neck , trunk but also on the scalp (we speak of scalp magnifying glass or trichilemmal cyst), the sebaceous cyst takes the form of a swelling or subcutaneous nodule of a size generally less than 2 cm. The presence of a black point that overcomes the cyst is possible.

The diagnosis is easily made by your dermatologist in Paris. Rounded in shape, the cysts are painless and mobile on palpation, that is, they roll under the fingers .

In front of a red and hot aspect, it is necessary to think of an inflammation as well as a possible infection of the sebaceous cyst . Larger sebaceous cysts can be up to 5cm in size.

Unlike cysts, lipomas do not cause inflammation, infection or abscess.

No additional examination is necessary for the diagnosis of a sebaceous cyst .

Some sebaceous cysts can disappear spontaneously and without treatment.

A usually painless cyst that starts to hurt should be thought of as an inflamed cyst (this is called the warm phase).

A sebaceous cyst can remain painless for several years. When infected, it can become very painful and cause long inflammatory and painful episodes. If not treated in time, an abscess is possible. Removing a sebaceous cyst prevents any infectious recurrence.

The sebaceous cyst of the scalp is the most common tumor at this level. It is also likely to become inflamed and its treatment is surgical as for the rest of the areas concerned.

Be careful not to manipulate or pierce a sebaceous cyst , this promotes its infection or even its abscess. Also, be careful not to try to empty or aspirate the contents of the cyst, these techniques do not eliminate the shell which is responsible for recurrences and on the contrary promote infections.

In the inflammatory phase, sebaceous cyst surgery is contraindicated. Indeed, inflammation is likely to decrease the effectiveness of local anesthesia and may increase the risk of recurrence. The healing process can also be impaired and cause the formation of an extensive and unsightly scar.

It is therefore necessary to wait for the end of the inflammatory phase and the return to the cold phase (ie a non-inflamed cyst having returned to its initial size). The surgery will be scheduled accordingly and preventive antibiotic therapy may be implemented in the meantime.

The removal of a sebaceous cyst is one of the dermatological surgical procedures performed in Paris at the Clinique Skin Marceau. Under local anesthesia , the cyst as well as its shell and its opening are removed then the suturing of the skin is carried out and a dressing is put in place. It is a quick gesture with simple consequences. No social eviction is required. The scar is usually inconspicuous and improves postoperatively.

If it is possible to remove several cysts during the same session , we do not want to exceed the removal of more than 3 cysts.

Following cyst surgery, it is important not to expose the treated area to the sun and to protect it appropriately. Sports and swimming should be avoided throughout the healing period, which varies according to the areas of the body concerned.

Healing lasts about 1 week for the face and 2 weeks for the rest of the body.

The price of a sebaceous cyst surgery in Paris varies between €360 to €460.