Neuroimaging findings in a child with dumbbell-shaped frontosphenoidal dermoid cyst presenting as preseptal cellulitis

Abstract

We report the CT and MRI findings in a 5-year-old girl with histologically proven frontosphenoidal dumbbell-shaped dermoid cyst with sinus tracts in the frontal bone extending to the dura. Although the most common location for dermoid cyst in the head and neck is at the frontosphenoidal region, presentation with a tract extending deep to underlying bone or the intracranium is rare for this location. Complete surgical excision has been widely accepted as the basic treatment for dermoid cyst. However, the relatively extensive nature of such surgical interventions may be associated with serious risks to both visual acuity and cosmesis. From a clinical viewpoint, even if these are rare cases, radiological imaging is crucial for orienting the deeper extension of the lesion for presurgical planning.