Milial Cysts
Senait W. Dyson, MD
David Cassarino, MD, PhD
Key Facts
Terminology
Small epidermoid/infundibular cyst
Clinical Issues
Very common
Primary milial cysts
Occur spontaneously and typically seen on the face
Secondary milial cysts
Occur at sites of trauma or subepidermal blistering diseases
Microscopic Pathology
Dermal cyst lined by squamous epithelium with granular layer
Intraluminal laminated keratin
Top Differential Diagnoses
Epidermoid (epidermal inclusion, follicular infundibular) cyst
Vellus hair cyst
 Low magnification shows multiple small dermal cysts  , which appear essentially identical to miniature epidermoid/follicular, infundibular-type cysts. |
 The cyst contains abundant loose keratin flakes  . |
TERMINOLOGY
Synonyms
Milia
Definitions
Small epidermoid (follicular, infundibular-type) cysts
CLINICAL ISSUES
Epidemiology
Incidence
Very common
Age
Any age
Newborns, children, and adults
Gender
No gender predilection
Ethnicity
