Intraoral surgical management of dermoid cysts of the floor of the mouth: report of three cases

Ana Carolina Plado Barreto de Almeida; Bruno Teixeira Gonçalves Rodrigues; Paulo José D’Albuquerque Medeiros; Henrique Martins da Silveira; Thaís Pimentel de Sá Bahia; Ramiro Beato Souza; Fábio Ramoa Pires; Danilo Passeado Branco Ribeiro

doi:10.5327/2525-5711.511

Authors

Ana Carolina Plado Barreto de Almeida Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0901-636X
Bruno Teixeira Gonçalves Rodrigues Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7678-2588
Paulo José D’Albuquerque Medeiros Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9786-7449
Henrique Martins da Silveira Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0882-9909
Thaís Pimentel de Sá Bahia Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7060-0560
Ramiro Beato Souza Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3935-3295
Fabio Ramoa Pires Pathology, Department of Diagnosis and Therapeutics, School of Dentistry, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0317-8878
Danilo Passeado Branco Ribeiro Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7629-0698

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5327/2525-5711.511

Keywords:

Dermoid cyst, Mouth floor, Oral surgical procedures, Differential diagnosis

Abstract

Introduction: Dermoid cysts (DC) are uncommon developmental lesions that rarely occur in the oral cavity. The floor of the mouth is the most frequent intraoral location, where these lesions may present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges because of their variable clinical and radiographic features. Case Series: This study reports three cases of DC involving the floor of the mouth. The patients were aged 16, 23, and 30 years and presented with painless swellings of varying duration. Clinical examination and imaging studies, including ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, were used for diagnostic assessment. In one case, the lesion was initially interpreted as a plunging ranula, highlighting the challenges associated with the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions in this region. Aspiration contributed to the preoperative diagnosis by revealing characteristic cystic contents. All lesions were treated by complete surgical excision through an intraoral approach under general anesthesia. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of DC in all cases. No postoperative complications or recurrences were observed during follow-up. Conclusion: DC should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions of the floor of the mouth. Comprehensive diagnostic assessment and complete surgical excision provide favorable outcomes with a low risk of recurrence.

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