Dermoid Cysts (Teratomas)

Medical Topic of the Day:  To celebrate over 1000 hits on my blog we are going to talk about something truly disgusting.  My friend Aubrey has suggested the topic of dermoid cysts and promises you will barf.  So if you don't barf it is her fault.  Enjoy

Off The Top of My Head:  Besides being on ovaries I don't know much about them.  I am sure they are painful like most ovarian cysts are.  I don't have ovaries myself so it is difficult for me to equate the pain.  I dunno, let's see what they are and why they are gross.

My Research Today:  Also called a benign cystic teratoma, a dermoid cyst is a type of usually non-malignant cyst.  Teratomas themselves are horrifying because they contain a number of different cells and hence may develop into many different things.  Technically teratomas or dermoids can appear in other places but ovarian teratomas are more common.

Teratomas are chunks of tissue with one of more kinds of tissue encapsulated inside it.  The tissue or fluid inside it can contain all kinds of things that are not supposed to be there.  Inside a teratoma you could find any of the following:

• Hair
• Blood
• Skin
• Teeth
• An eyeball or part of an eyeball
• A foot
• A torso

Although teratomas that contain organs or organ systems are rare it is possible since any tissue in your body can appear in a teratoma.  In Latin teratoma means "the earth takes" which is creepy but even more creepy if your ovary has an eyeball.  But don't worry, you can always have it surgically extracted.

Since teratomas are mature cells they are rarely malignant although types of cancerous teratomas are possible.  Some people can live all their lives not knowing they have a teratoma unless it starts to cause them discomfort.  But I know what you are thinking.  I want to see one.  Okay.  Just remember, you can't unsee this shit.

LAST CHANCE TO TURN BACK!

PROBABLY NOT SAFE FOR YOUR SANITY BELOW THIS LINE

This one contains mostly hair.

This one contains keratin the building block for hair, but no hair.

A tooth!  Looks like an incisor.

TEETH!  That other one must have been from Kentucky.

GOOD GOD, MAN!  What Lovecraftian abomination is this?

That is horrifying.  I have to admit it is kinda cool.  There are some freakish ones on Google image search if you haven't had enough.  I looked though 11 pages of them so you didn't have to.  You'll see a lot of them on kids eyes or faces so be forewarned if you decide to go looking.  Some people are born with them.

Quest To 180:
Meh.

The MAN:
Meh.