Sebaceous Cyst of the face: A Report of Five Cases Treated in A Teaching Hospital in North-West, Nigeria

Abstract

Background:  Sebaceous cysts are keratin filled cysts that occur in the hair bearing areas of the body like the scalp, face, neck, back and scrotum.  They present as an asymptomatic swelling. Although these cystic lesions are benign, they need to be treated as soon as possible as they cause disfigurement of the face in head and neck region. There are various modalities of treatment of these cysts, the commonest is surgical excision.

Objective: To report five cases of sebaceous cysts affecting the face which were treated with surgical excision. The objective of the study was to present the clinical features and management of sebaceous cyst of head and neck region.

Methods: This study was a retrospective review of cases of sebaceous cyst in the head and neck region treated in the Maxillofacial unit of Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna between September, 2014 to June, 2020

Results: Five cases were treated, 3 males and 2 females.  The age range was 29 to 49 years.  Mean age was 39 years. Four cases had a single lesion each, while one had multiple facial lesions.

Conclusion: Sebaceous cysts could cause significant facial disfigurement. Surgical excision is regarded as the ideal treatment and is associated with excellent outcome.   

Keywords: Sebaceous cyst, epidermoid cyst, face, cheek