Background: Dermoid cysts are rare congenital teratomas that can occasionally rupture and cause chemical meningitis, neurological deficit, or hydrocephalus. Rarely, dermoid cysts in the pediatric population can rupture spontaneously and even more rarely rupture due to trauma. To date, there are only five documented cases of traumatic rupture of a dermoid cyst. A 2-year-old male presented with 5 days of left eye ptosis and ophthalmoplegia after suffering a fall and was found to have a ruptured left anterior clinoid dermoid cyst that was surgically resected. The patient had significant improvement postoperatively.
Significance: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case in the literature of a ruptured dermoid cyst after trauma in a pediatric patient and the first case of a traumatically ruptured dermoid cyst presenting with neurological deficit.
Keywords: Anterior clinoid; Dermoid cyst; Dermoid cyst rupture; Giant cell reaction; Ophthalmoplegia.