A dermoid cyst in the ovary is a type of an ovarian tumor that is usually benign in nature. This type of cyst is about a third of the total number of benign tumor cases in the ovary. Although there is a chance that dermoid cysts may be cancerous, the case is rather uncommon. The chance of a dermoid ovarian cyst to be malignant is only about 2 percent. This type of cyst is also referred to as mature teratoma. What is interesting and we can say odd about dermoid ovarian cysts is that they usually develop containing peculiar tissues. These tissues may come in the form of teeth, hair, bones, and sebaceous and neuronal tissues. The reason behind this is the fact that a dermoid ovarian cyst develops from a totipotent cell. These types of cells have the ability to give birth to cells that are not similar in nature.
Dermoid ovarian cysts can grow as little as less than an inch and as big as more than 15 inches in diameter. A little over one of ten women is likely to have these ovarian teratomas in both of their ovaries. Women in the age of 30 and up are the ones usually prone to having dermoid cyst in the ovary. This age bracket is the period where women are mostly in their reproductive or childbearing state. Although ovarian dermoid cysts are most often than not benignant, they can still pose a threat to women’s health. Aside from the fact that dermoid ovarian cysts may cause cancer, they can also cause harm to a women’s health by inducing torsion, pain and infection. Torsion or the twisting of the ovary may impede the regular blood flow. Infection, on the other hand, may result from a ruptured ovarian cyst. When these cysts grow bigger, they have more tendency of rupturing causing its contents to splatter. These greasy contents may cause pain. Dermoid ovarian cysts may be removed by laparotomy or open surgery.
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