a tale of two cysts: steatocystoma multiplex and eruptive vellus hair cysts—two case reports and a review of the literature

Background. Steatocystoma multiplex (SM) and eruptive vellus hair cysts (EVHC) are uncommon benign tumors of the pilosebaceous unit. Both SM and EVHC are characterized by smooth, asymptomatic papules or nodules, most commonly presenting on the chest, limbs, and abdomen. Most cases of SM and EVHC are sporadic, although less common autosomal dominant inherited forms have been reported. Main Observation. In this report we present two cases of cutaneous cysts exhibiting characteristics of either SM or EVHC. Both patients presented with numerous 1-2 mm asymptomatic papules and responded well to surgical expression by incision and drainage (I&D). Conclusion. SM and EVHC are similar in clinical presentation and management. Previously reported “hybrid-type” tumors present strong evidence for a relationship between the two lesions pathologically. Due to potential similarity of EVHC and SM cyst contents, I&D and subsequent microscopic examination cannot definitely differentiate between EVHC, SM, and hybrid cysts.