A cyst is a sac of encapsulated fluid, gas or semisolid. They are distinct from the nearby tissue and can occur anywhere in your body.
Sometimes a cyst develops superficially under your skin and you can feel the lump. However, cysts can develop around an organ and you may not know it, i.e. kidneys and liver. And they can grow so large that they cause a crowding effect on vital organ functioning.
Having a cyst is a common health condition. And pus in a sac is not a type of cyst, but an abscess.
There’s a myriad of causes for why a cyst develops, couple of which include:
- trauma
- tumors
- parasite
- infection
- genetic conditions
- blockage of fluid flow
- inflammatory conditions
- defects during embryonic development
Most cysts are benign, but rarely they’ve been associated with malignant tumors.
There are different types of cysts, for instance:
- chalazion
- mucocele
- pilar cysts
- thyroid cyst
- Tarlov cysts
- Baker’s cyst
- ovarian cysts
- pilonidal cyst
- Bartholin cyst
- syringomyelia
- ganglion cysts
- arachnoid cyst
- sebaceous cyst
- pancreatic cysts
- fibrocystic breasts
- polycystic kidney disease
Your cyst may or may not cause symptoms based on the type of cyst, size and location. Generally, treatment of cysts is either via drainage or surgical removal.