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Atheroma of the skin
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
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Cystic, tumor neoplasms of the skin in dermatology and cosmetology are considered common diseases. Atheroma of the skin is a cyst located in the upper layer of the dermis, in medicine this formation has a synonym - trichodermal cyst, which is due to its location directly in the skin layers, in the excretory duct of the sebaceous gland, more often in the area of the hair follicle. Atheroma consists of a capsule and contents of a mushy consistency, this composition gives the name to the cyst, since athera in translation from Greek means porridge, gruel. The cyst refers to benign epithelial neoplasms, which in turn are divided into the following types according to histological structure:
- Retention cyst of the sebaceous gland.
- Trichilemmal cyst.
- Epidermal cyst.
- Steacystoma.
[ Symptoms of skin atheroma
In a clinical sense, these types are practically indistinguishable from each other, so they are all diagnosed and defined as atheromas.
Atheroma of the skin looks like a small, rounded neoplasm with a dense capsule inside, the capsule contains a complex structure of keratin secretion of a white-yellow hue with a characteristic, unpleasant odor. Atheromatous cysts are not often detected, only in 7-10% of cases of the total number of skin diseases. The most common are secondary atheromas, which develop as the final phase of accumulation of liquid contents in the gland and blockage of its excretory duct. Congenital atheromas are diagnosed extremely rarely, they are often confused with such hereditary diseases as a dermoid cyst. The age criterion for patients with sebaceous gland cysts is not specified, but dermatologists claim that atheroma is more often formed in people aged 30 to 55 years.
Since atheroma is a neoplasm of the sebaceous gland, its predominant location is associated with the prevalence of glandulae sebaceae on the body. The volume, the number of sebaceous glands per 1 square centimeter of skin is as follows: •
- Hairy part of the head – 3.2 mm 3.
- Forehead - 2.4 mm3 per 1 cm2.
- Lower part of the face, neck – 2.1 mm 3.
- Groin – 2.2 mm 3.
- Back - 1.5 mm 3.
- Chest – 1.4mm 3.
- Hips – 0.6-0.5 mm 3.
- Shin – 0.03mm 3.
The localization of atheroma is quite specific, its favorite location is areas covered with hair, that is, the head, lower part of the face and neck, less often the back, chest, thighs, shins. All parts of the body where there are hair follicles are, in principle, prone to the appearance of retention cysts, especially if a person suffers from hyperhidrosis or in case of hormonal imbalances, metabolic disorders.
Atheroma on the head is often multiple - in 70% of cases, the number of cysts can reach up to 10. Cysts on the back, on the lower parts of the body are mostly defined as single, but tend to increase to large sizes.
Diagnosis of skin atheroma
Differential diagnostics are performed by examination, palpation, and less frequently, tissue samples from the cyst are taken for histological examination. Skin atheroma may resemble lipoma, fibroma, osteoma, dermoid, but its distinctive feature is its superficial location and a clearly visible obturated excretory duct in the center of the tumor.
Treatment of skin atheroma
Treatment of benign skin cysts is usually surgical; unlike other neoplasms, atheroma is not capable of resolving or involution on its own, so it is better to remove it surgically.