Skin cysts and skin tumors are two conditions that can develop on your skin. They can be cancerous or non-cancerous, and sometimes they require surgery. Today, we take a closer look at these two conditions, and explain the treatment techniques for both.
Skin Cyst Causes and Treatment
Skin cysts are non-cancerous closed pockets of skin tissue that are filled with fluid or another material. They are beneath the surface of your skin and can sometimes be felt when pressure is applied to the area. Some develop and fade away on their own, while others require medical intervention.
Skin cysts can develop for a number of reasons, including:
- As a result of an infection
- Clogging of sebaceous glands
- On or near foreign bodies that promote cyst growth
As we mentioned above, some cysts resolve on their own, and others go unnoticed because they don’t cause any issues. Other times, large skin cysts or ones that threaten the function of nearby structures need to be addressed surgically. A skin surgeon can usually take care of these with ease by draining the cyst with a sterilized piercing technique or by removing the intact cyst through surgery.
Skin Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment
Skin tumors, on the other hand, are a little bit more serious that skin cysts. These tumors are abnormal growths of tissue that can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Your risk of developing a skin tumor increases with age, while others are at a heightened risk for hereditary reasons.
Some common forms of benign skin tumors include:
- Birthmarks/Moles
- Warts
- Seborrheic keratoses (small discolored skin growths)
If you have a new or odd-looking growth on your skin, have it examined by a skin specialist. They’ll be able to test the skin cells to determine if the tumor is cancerous or not. Should the tumor need to be removed, your surgeon may suggest a couple of different techniques:
- Surgical removal – This technique involves cutting into the skin, removing the growth and a small amount of healthy skin to ensure it doesn’t return, and stitching up the site afterwards.
- Curettage and Electrodesiccation – This process involves scraping away the growth with a sharp surgical instrument and then using an electrosurgical unit to prevent site bleeding.
- Cryosurgery – Cryosurgery involves putting liquid nitrogen on the skin to freeze the tumor before removal.
After surgery, pain is controlled with pain medications and the site is monitored over the next few months to ensure the tumor does not return.
