Dermoid cyst of the colon.

Dermoid cysts are benign cystic teratomas lined by skin and epidermal appendages. We report a dermoid cyst occurring in a 26-year-old female whose chief complaint was irregular vaginal bleeding. Abdominal magnetic resonance image demonstrated a space-occupying lesion in the right lower abdomen. The mass showed hyperintensity on the T2 image and the signal was homogeneous for the interior. During abdominal surgery we made the diagnosis of subserous tumor of the colon and resected the ileocecal portion of the colon. The tumor measured 5.4 x 4.8 x 3.5 cm and was soft and elastic. On cross section, a unilocular cyst filled with atheromatous material was found. Pathological examination revealed a dermoid cyst. In the view of this diagnosis, a simple excision would have been an adequate treatment. Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel