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

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.