Dermoid cyst of the colon

Dermoid cysts are benign cystic teratomas lined by skin and epidermal appen dages. We report a dermoid cyst occurring in a 26-year-old female whose chi ef complaint was irregular vaginal bleeding. Abdominal magnetic resonance i mage demonstrated a space-occupying lesion in the right lower abdomen. The mass showed hyperintensity on the T2 image and the signal was homogeneous f or the interior. During abdominal surgery we made the diagnosis of subserou s tumor of the colon and resected the ileocecal portion of the colon. The t umor 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. Pathologic al examination revealed a dermoid cyst. In the view of this diagnosis, a si mple excision would have been an adequate treatment. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.