Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline dermoid cysts on the back - signs and cases
By Barrantes Murillo, Daniel Felipe et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2025·Oklahoma State University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline dermoid cyst: Retrospective case series and literature review.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male domestic shorthair cat was diagnosed with a dermoid cyst, a type of skin growth that can occur along the back. These cysts are filled with keratin and hair and are usually harmless, often found on the neck. In this case series of 220 cats, most dermoid cysts were not associated with inflammation and were typically around 1.4 cm in size. Treatment usually involves surgical removal, which is effective in resolving the issue.
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Abstract
Dermoid cysts are developmental abnormalities usually located at the dorsal body midline. Histologically, these lesions reduplicate the skin, with associated collagen bundles, adnexal structures, and are filled by keratin and hairs. While these cysts have well-recognized breed and anatomical predispositions in dogs, the information in feline patients is restricted to scattered case reports and anecdotal data. Through a multi-institutional retrospective case series, we aim to describe the clinical and demographic features of this condition in cats. We retrieved a total of 220 cases. The average age at the time of diagnosis was 5.5 years, with 59.5% (131/220) being males. Domestic short hairs were the most represented breed, accounting for 56.4% (124/220) of the cases. The average cyst diameter was 1.4 cm, and 99.5% (219/220) of the cases the cysts were cutaneous and subcutaneous with the most common anatomical location being the neck (55.9%; 123/220). One dermoid cyst was in the mesentery. In most cases, no associated inflammatory lesions were reported (66.4%; 146/220). The anatomical location of the dermoid cyst did not differ significantly among sexes (Chi-square test,= .840), breeds (Chi-square test,= .999), ages (Chi-square test,= .627), or other histological findings related to the cyst (Chi-square test,= .363).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39968767/