Sonographic features of a submandibular epidermoid cyst

We present the case of a 23-year-old man with a few weeks history of a gradually enlarging mass of the right submandibular region. On palpation, the well-defined swelling had an engorged and elastic consistency. Sonography revealed a sharply defined mass with spherical and solid echorich lesions surrounded by areas of liquid. Histological examination of the resected tumour revealed an epidermoid cyst. The wall of the cyst was composed of stratified squamous epithelium with the cystic space containing keratin arranged in layers. Characteristic sonographic findings of epidermoid cysts regularly permit accurate preoperative diagnosis without the need for additional imaging procedures.