MRI findings of subcutaneous epidermal cysts: emphasis on the presence of rupture

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to describe the MRI findings of subcutaneous epidermal cysts with an emphasis on determining the presence of rupture. CONCLUSION: Epidermal cysts show a fluidlike signal with variable low-signal components on T2-weighted images and peripheral rim enhancement on gadolinium-enhanced images. Most ruptured cysts have septa, show thick and irregular rim enhancement, and are accompanied by a fuzzy enhancement in surrounding subcutaneous tissues. These imaging features of a ruptured epidermal cyst simulate a mass of infectious or neoplastic origin.