1.Clinical profile and outcomes of Ocular Dermoid Cysts at the Philippine General Hospital
Justin Alan A. Yao ; Mary Ellaine S. Diaz ; Ruben Lim Bon Siong
Philippine Journal of Ophthalmology 2024;49(1):20-27
Objective:
This study described the clinical profile and outcomes of patients with ocular dermoid cysts at a
subspecialty Ophthalmology clinic of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
Methods:
Medical records of 38 patients seen at the External Disease & Cornea Clinic from January 2012 to
June 2023 were reviewed. Demographics, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), refraction, other associated
malformations, and dermoid characteristics were collected. For those that underwent surgery, the procedures
performed and histopathology reports were reviewed. Most recent refraction, BCVA, presence of amblyopia,
recurrence, and complications were recorded.
Results:
Mean age at presentation was 8.33 years old with equal male:female distribution (52% vs 48%). Thirtyfour (34) participants (89.5%) had unilateral dermoids and 4 participants (10.5%) had bilateral dermoids, for a
total of 42 eyes. Thirty-five (35) or 83.3% of the dermoids were located at the inferotemporal quadrant of the
cornea. There were 42.1% participants who had associated congenital anomalies, with dermolipoma and preauricular tags being the most common ocular and craniofacial findings, respectively. Twenty-seven (27) eyes
(64.2%) underwent surgery and the most common procedure was excision with limbal conjunctival autograft
(55.6%). In the 8 eyes that underwent simple excision, recurrence of the dermoid was seen in 1 patient and
development of pseudopterygium in 5 patients. Dermoid was the histopathological diagnosis in 96.3% of the
excised tissues. Twenty-four (24) patients (63.2%) presented with ambylopia with BCVA <20/30, and
regardless of type of intervention done, only 7 participants (23.3%) had a visual acuity better than 20/30 during
their latest consult.
Conclusion
Ocular dermoid is a common congential anomaly usually presenting as an isolated, unilateral mass
at the inferotemporal limbal area. Aside from the obvious effect on the cosmetic appearance of the eye, a more
pressing concern is the high incidence of amblyopia. Timely excision with limbal conjunctival autograft is highly
recommended coupled with aggressive amblyopia therapy.
Recurrence
;
Amblyopia