Watch out for small hard lumps under the skin

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1. Small hard lump under the skin due to an epidermoid cyst - what is it? Epidermoid cysts, also known as sebaceous cysts, or epithelial cysts/keratomas, are characterized by small, hard lumps under the skin. These nodules are usually slow-growing, but grow many times in the same location, making it particularly difficult to become a malignancy.
These epidermal cysts usually appear on the head, on the face, on the neck, on the back or on the genitals in both men and women, ranging in size from about 6mm to 50mm. Epidermoid cysts do not cause specific symptoms with appearance similar to a small bump on the skin, contain a thick substance inside and often have an odor. This type of tumor does not cause pain and is usually yellow or dark in color.

2. Specific features of a cyst In addition to being a hard and small lump that develops under the skin, an epidermoid cyst has the following characteristics:
Usually round or oval in shape, soft but firm sure. In the center of the cyst there is usually a black hole, similar to a blackhead that develops on the nose. Epidermoid cysts very commonly appear on the face, on the neck, or on the male/female genitals. The shell of the cyst is thin, surrounding an amount of fluid inside containing many lipid fragments, keratin ... making the mucus white or yellow, with an unpleasant odor. When ruptured, without appropriate antibacterial measures, they can cause inflammation/infection, swelling, and pain.

3. What causes the little hard lump under the skin? Epidermoid cysts, which manifest as small hard lumps that form - that grow beneath the skin - are caused primarily by the long-term accumulation of keratin or keratin (a natural protein produced within the skin cells). skin cells). When too much of this protein gets trapped under the skin, it creates a lump that swells but doesn't cause pain.
The accumulation of keratinocytes is often a response to health conditions such as trauma to the skin, acne, HPV infection or frequent sun exposure.
In particular, some of the following factors can increase the risk of small hard lumps under the skin:
Being in puberty (in both boys and girls) There is certain damage to the surface of the skin. Associated with rare genetic factors. People who have had many relapses of acne ...
4. How do epidermoid cysts usually progress? When it starts to form, an epidermoid cyst usually causes no discomfort, so when it grows in some well-covered place, the patient is usually not too concerned. However, in the case of cysts progressing to other stages, they will leave many negative effects on health, including:
Inflammation of the cyst: when swollen, the tumor can become inflamed when impacted. from the outside and when it does, it's very difficult to surgically remove. Epidermoid cyst rupture: when the cyst ruptures, the yellow mucus inside the cyst will leak out and can lead to a skin infection. Abscess due to epidermoid cyst: in the case of a severely infected tumor with signs of swelling, redness, and severe pain, the secretions contained in the tumor may be bloody when drained. In the most dangerous cases, epidermal cysts can cause skin cancer. However, this is an extremely rare occurrence.

5. How is epidermoid cyst diagnosed? In addition to a small hard lump under the skin, the doctor will check the swelling level of the tumor as well as the skin around this lump, and you also need to answer honestly some of the doctor's questions. doctor, including detailed information on how long the cyst formed and how the cyst changes over time.
To diagnose a patient with an epidermoid cyst, doctors usually need only a clinical examination. In some cases, the patient may need other tests to get a more accurate result:
Blood and secretion tests: usually not necessary for the initial diagnosis, but in the case of cysts If you have recurrent infections and do not respond well to antibiotics, the bacteria present in the fluid sample of the cyst will be sampled for culture as well as tested on the antibiogram. Diagnosis of epidermoid cysts based on imaging: in case the cyst is in an abnormal location such as bone or on the breast, doctors can conduct some imaging techniques such as X-ray, ultrasound, etc. MRI... to make sure it's not a malignancy. Some other diagnostic tests: when there are small hard lumps under the skin in abnormal places, besides imaging, doctors can aspirate the cyst to look for keratin under the microscope.
6. How to treat a hard lump under the skin? Usually, epidermoid cysts may not require treatment, but they may collapse and recur for a short time rather than disappear spontaneously completely. In the case of cysts causing a cosmetic disadvantage, the following solutions are suggested to correct the small hard lump under the skin.
6.1. Incision of the cyst and drainage of fluid In this solution, the doctor will make a small cut in the cyst, then push out all the mucus inside the cyst. While a simple treatment, the cyst can come back.
6.2. Total epidermal cystectomy For this surgery, your cyst will be completely removed which helps prevent its possibility of recurrence. You do not need to worry too much when performing this method, because this is a small but highly effective and relatively safe surgery for epidermal cysts.
6.3. Treatment of hard cysts under the skin with drugs In case the cysts are painful and rapidly changing in size, infected... then you need to use drugs to treat them, which include antibiotics, injections. Medicines and drainage support to reduce swelling - reduce pain for the patient.
It can be said that small hard lumps under the skin are often associated with the formation of epidermal cysts. This type of tumor does not cause many health problems, but it makes your life a lot of trouble if formed in the "façade" positions outside.
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