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Pilar scalp cysts
Keywords: Cutaneous cysts and pseudocysts, Firm flesh-coloured subcutaneous nodule, Keratin-filled cyst, Male, Pilar cyst, Scalp, Smooth well-circumscribed nodules
A trichilemmal cyst, also known as a pilar cyst, is a keratin-filled cyst that originates from the outer hair root sheath. Keratin is the protein that makes up hair and nails. Trichilemmal cysts are most commonly found on the scalp and are usually diagnosed in middle-aged females. They often run in the family, as they have an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance (ie, the tendency to the cysts can be is passed on by a parent to their child of either sex, and the child has a 1 in 2 likelihood of inheriting it).
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