Swelling of the floor of the mouth

Giant Epidermoid Cyst of the Floor of Mouth

“…The pathogenesis of dermoid cysts is still undefined [9] with two theories to explain its origin. The commonly accepted one is the congenital theory, which suggests that the cyst originates from the median pluripotent tissue incarcerated during the fusion of the first and second brachial arch in the third and fourth week of intrauterine life.…”

Dermoid Cyst of the Floor of the Mouth Diagnosed by Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology

“…19,38 The pathogenesis of dermoid cysts of the floor of the mouth has not been definitively established. 62 They are generally thought to arise from germinal epithelial rests that have been enclavated during the midline closure of either the embryonic first or second branchial arches during the third or fourth week of development. 8,20,35,41,48,64 For noncongenital cases, another hypothesis is that they derive from traumatic occlusion of piliferous follicles or sebaceous glands.…”

“…9 When infected, sinus tracts to the skin or intraoral sites can develop. 20,43,62 On palpation, the swelling of the floor of the mouth has a soft, doughy consistency and exhibits pitting after compression. 19,30,32,56,62 The doughy consistency reflects the cyst contents of cheesy epithelial debris, keratin and sebaceous material.…”

“…20,43,62 On palpation, the swelling of the floor of the mouth has a soft, doughy consistency and exhibits pitting after compression. 19,30,32,56,62 The doughy consistency reflects the cyst contents of cheesy epithelial debris, keratin and sebaceous material. 24,33 Due to the nature of its contents, these cysts do not transilluminate.…”

“…6,8,14,30,34,39,42,54,58 Sometimes a large cyst can herniate through the mylohyoid muscle, producing a dumbbell-shaped mass that can be palpated both intraorally and extraorally. 20,59,62 The lateral cysts are located in the submandibular triangle between the mylohyoid and hypoglossal muscle. 33 They can displace the submandibular gland laterally 33 or press onto the floor of the mouth, causing a swelling on one side of the midline that pushes the tongue to the opposite side.…”