Ruptured dermoid cyst of the lateral cavernous sinus wall with temporary symptoms: a case report

BACKGROUND: Dermoid cysts are non-neoplastic tumors that arise from defects in the separation of the neuroectoderm. Cyst rupture rarely occurs spontaneously and the most common symptom is headache, followed by seizure. Although many cases of ruptured dermoid cysts present with symptoms, reports of cases that are asymptomatic, or where symptoms disappear, are rare. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 66-year-old Asian man with a history of sudden onset headache who was found to have high amounts of fat material in the subarachnoid space and a fat suppression mass in the left cavernous sinus. He underwent oral steroid therapy. Five days after starting medication his headache symptoms disappeared. Routine neurological imaging was then performed without surgical procedure. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed evidence of the remains of a static lesion 6 months after his first visit. He has remained headache free for 10 months since the initial event. CONCLUSIONS: Although cases of ruptured dermoid cysts presenting with consistent symptoms have been commonly reported, until now there were few reports on asymptomatic cases or cases where symptoms disappeared. We believe that surgical intervention is unnecessary for ruptured dermoid cysts with minimal symptoms.