Cutaneous ciliated cyst: A case report

Abstract

Cutaneous ciliated cyst are relatively rare benign lesions, found in the dermis or subcutis of the lower extremities of young females in their second and third decades. The cysts are typically lined by ciliated cuboidal to columnar epithelium, showing pseudostratified areas and focal squamous metaplasia is occasionally present. Immunohistochemical studies have demonstrated that the cysts can be PR and ER positive, similar to the epithelia of the fallopian tubes. The pathogenesis of the cyst is yet being studied, some hypotheses have been proposed including the Mullerian heterotopias, ciliated metaplasia of eccrine sweat glands, and embryonic remnants of the cloacal membrane. We report a cutaneous ciliated cyst over the right gluteus area in a 29 year old female. On histologic examination, the cyst was lined by ciliated columnar epithelium, showing occasional papillary projections.