Dermoid Cyst

It is a teratoma. In case you do not know what this is, it simply means a benign growth which may contain bone, hair, teeth, sebaceous glands etc. If you want to know more, read this. To see other pictures or what my friend has to say about it, click here.

I saw this during my Electives and it was my first time looking at this. Last time, I would just hear about it but then, I was actually looking at it. For a student like me, I was no doubt excited and fascinated. As the surgeon removed the dermoid cyst and placed it on the tray. My friend and I stared at it, wondering what could be in there. As my friend was hoping that it would a teeth, I was stoned, not knowing what I should expect. Why? Because the only line in my mind was 'No way, this can't possible have SOMETHING in there...' But it was possible alright.


This is the picture of the dermoid cyst after the doctor made an incision and the thick yellow fluid flowed out of the capsule. Because it was left in the tray before it was transferred into the container, the yellow fluid became semi solid ("hardened" but not exactly hard). Doesn't it look like mango pudding? :P

Now, to reveal to you what was inside the dermoid cyst... [If you're eating or drinking, you might want to put them away for awhile.]

Ta-da! Hair. A lot of hair and sebaceous material. Up till today, looking back at this picture still gives me the creeps a little.

Well, another thing I managed to do was feel a uterus with multiple fibroids. The ovaries sure was something that I did not expect as well. It was a rubbery feeling. I expected it to be more fragile.

Here's a picture of it. The Fallopian tube can be seen as well.