Comparison of the Surgical Outcomes of Minimal Excision and Elliptical Excision Techniques in Treating Epidermal Inclusion Cysts: A Prospective Randomized Study

Epidermal cysts are mostly benign tumors with a dome-like appearance usually observed in the body, behind the ears, and in the cervical area.
The study aimed to compare the surgical results of minimal excision and elliptical excision techniques in the surgical management of epidermal cysts.
In a 24-month period, from 2012 to 2015, 356 patients with benign, non-infected epidermal cysts were surgically managed with minimal excision (n = 178) or elliptical excision (n = 178) techniques. Patient information, volume and place of the lesion, the length of the wound, the time of surgical procedure, and recurrence rate were evaluated using SPSS software at a significance level of The mean length of the wounds in the minimal excision and elliptical excision groups was 2.3 ± 0.32 and 2.7 ± 0.11 cm, respectively (P = 0.001). The mean operative time was significantly shorter in the minimal excision technique (6.4 ± 2.09 minutes) than in the elliptical excision technique (11.3 ± 3.35 minutes) (P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in the recurrence rate in minimal excision technique (2.8 %) than in elliptical excision technique (3.3%) (P = 0.065).
Minimal excision produced a superior cosmetic result. Epidermal inclusion cysts measuring less than 3 cm that were observed on the head or cosmetically important zones were optimally managed with the minimal excision technique.