Giant Submental Dermoid Cysts With Near Total Obstruction of the Oral Cavity: Report of 2 Cases

Dermoid cysts in the head and neck are a relatively uncommon entity with only 6.9% occurring in this site. They most commonly occur in the lateral third of the eyebrow with 26% found in the floor of the mouth.1 They are believed to arise from failure of the overlying surface ectoderm to separate from underlying structures. Typically, dermoid cysts present as slow-growing nontender midline floor of the mouth or submental swellings that can develop to significant dimensions before producing symptoms.2 We report 2 such cases where large dermoid cysts produced progressive dysphagia and breathing difficulty, resulting in acute presentation to our service.