Surgery of cyst in animals

Surgery of cyst in animals is puncture and evacuate the contents of cyst and inject an irritant solution like Tincture iodine used to destroy the smooth lining membrane and setting up inflammation.

A cyst is a closed sac having a distinct inner lining of secreting membrane. They may contain air, fluids, or semi-solid material.

Cyst may contain a solid structure like tooth (dentigerous cyst) or hair (dermoid cyst) also. The outer wall of a cyst is called as ‘capsule’.

Most of the cysts are benign in nature, but some may produce symptoms due to their size and /or location. Size of a cyst may vary from a small grape to a football.

Some common examples of cyst in animals-

• Chalazion cyst (eyelid)
• Retention Cyst (gland like salivary cyst)
• Dentigerous Cyst (associated with the crowns of non-erupted teeth)
• Exudation Cyst (Hydrocoele)
• Dermoid (misplaced embryonic tissue)
• Encapsulation cyst (around foreign bodies and parasites. Ex: Cystecercosis)
• Neoplastic (Cyst adenoma)
• Ganglion cyst (hand/foot joints and tendons)
• Glial Cyst (in the brain)
• Distension cyst: (Follicular cyst of ovary, cystic distension of a joint bursa)
• Meibomian cyst (eyelid)
• Ovarian cyst (ovaries, functional and pathological)
• Renal cyst (kidneys)
• Sebaceous cyst (sac below skin)
• Bartholin cyst

Diagnosis of Cyst

Cysts are generally non-inflammatory in nature and develop slowly with well defined periphery. On palpation fluid filled cyst fluctuates uniformly while cysts with solid mass fluctuates en-masse.

Treatment of Cyst

Puncture and evacuate the contents of cyst and inject an irritant solution like Tincture iodine used to destroy the smooth lining membrane and setting up inflammation.

Use of seton (tincture iodine seton) to drain cyst is a good practice.

Surgical excision of the cyst is the preferred option. Intact cyst is carefully dissected and removed from the surrounding tissue in possible cases.

Differential diagnosis for Cyst-

Cyst is slow in development as compared to an abscess. Soft and fluctuates uniformly, but not hard at periphery. No inflammatory symptoms. No pain sensation in case of cyst.

Cyst should be differentiated with-

Haematoma

Haematoma forms due to coagulation of blood or serum. It is doughy on palpation and forms immediately following an injury. Haematoma does not point like an abscess and no pain sensation present.

Hernia

History of recent injury and swelling. Hernial ring can be palpated.

Tumor

Tumor is uniformly hard in consistency. Exploratory puncture with needle may reveal blood in case of tumor. and no pain sensation.

Abscess

Tumor does not point like an abscess. Exploratory puncture with needle may reveal pus in case of Abscess.