A 20-year-old female asked:
What causes a cyst?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Ed Friedlanderanswered
Pathology 45 years experience
Many kinds: A cyst is an abnormal, fluid-filled, epithelially-lined, closed structure -- a definition learned early by every medical student. There are hundreds of types, but the most familiar is the common epidermoid inclusion / "sebaceous" cyst under the skin. Privately i think many of these start with bug bites, but nobody's proved it. Cheers!
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 35-year-old member asked:
What causes a cyst to calcify?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Michael Gaboranswered
Diagnostic Radiology 34 years experience
Calcified cyst: Are you referring to breast cysts with calcified walls? I'm not exactly sure, maybe some inflammatory reaction of the cyst wall. What I do know is that calcified cysts are a radiologist's best friend on mammography...easy to see, and 100% benign.
3.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
What are the causes of a subarachnoid cyst?
1 doctor answer • 7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Allen Seelyanswered
General Practice 32 years experience
USUALLY congenital: Subarachnoid cysts are usually congenital ('born-with')malformations that arise from the unexplained splitting or tearing of the arachnoid membrane. Arachnoid cysts can also occur secondary to other disorders such as Marfan syndrome, arachnoiditis, or agenesis of the corpus callosum. Complications can arise: e.g. Head trauma can cause bleeding in or around the cysts possibly causing symptoms.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
American Samoa
A male asked:
What is a cyst?
2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in
Dr. Erik Borncampanswered
Wound care 26 years experience
A sack of fluid: A cyst is a fluid filled sac that usually has a thin wall (capsule) and is filled with a watery fluid. Complex cysts may have multiple fluid sacs all bunched together. They are usually treated by drainage though often the capsule neds to be removed to prevent recurrence. Other cysts may have thicker contents. If it is filled with pus its usually referred to as an abscess. Hope that helps.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Aug 17, 2018
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