Home > CNS & pituitary tumors > Epidermoid cyst

CNS & pituitary tumors

Cysts

Epidermoid cyst


Eman Abdelzaher, M.D., Ph.D.

Last author update: 1 February 2012
Last staff update: 1 September 2020

Copyright: 2002-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: Epidermoid cyst [title] central nervous system

Eman Abdelzaher, M.D., Ph.D.
Page views in 2024 to date: 993
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Terminology | Sites | Radiology description | Radiology images | Case reports | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Positive stains | Differential diagnosis
Cite this page: Abdelzaher E. Epidermoid cyst. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/cnstumorepidermoidcyst.html. Accessed April 17th, 2024.
Definition / general
  • Benign cyst lined by keratinized stratified squamous epithelium and lacking skin adnexa (eMedicine: Brain Epidermoid Imaging)
  • More common than dermoid cyst (1% of intracranial masses)
Terminology
  • Also called epidermoid or epidermoid tumor
Sites
  • Occurs throughout neuriaxis
  • Favored site: cerebellopontine angle
  • Other sites: brainstem, cranial diploe, intraspinal, pineal gland, sella, temporal lobe
  • Rarely undergoes malignant degeneration
Radiology description
  • Discrete, extra-axial with signal characteristics reflecting keratinous contents
  • Diffusion MRI helps distinguish from arachnoid cysts
Radiology images

Images hosted on other servers:

Cerebellopontine angle

Case reports
Gross description
  • Well defined round mass, thin walled, pearly white
Microscopic (histologic) description
  • Fibrous wall lined by keratinizing squamous epithelium; contains anucleate squames but no skin adnexae and no hair
Positive stains
Differential diagnosis
Back to top
Home > CNS & pituitary tumors > Epidermoid cyst
Image 01 Image 02