|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
cyst
cyst abnormal sac in the body, filled with a fluid or semisolid and enclosed in a membrane. Cysts can be congenital but are usually acquired, the most common locations being the skin and the ovaries. Sebaceous cysts of the skin, known as blackheads or whiteheads, occur when dirt or other material blocks the oil glands of the skin, preventing secretions from escaping. Retention cysts develop in glandular organs when ducts are blocked, commonly in kidney tubules, mammary glands, and sweat glands. Most cysts can be aspirated for treatment and/or cytology (diagnostic purposes); often cysts require surgical removal. |
|
|
Cite this article
"cyst." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cyst." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-cyst.html "cyst." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-cyst.html |
|
Cyst
CystWhere Are Cysts Found in the Body? What Are the Different Types of Cysts? A cyst is a small, balloon-like swelling anywhere in the body. A cyst may contain air, fluid, or solid content contained within a sac. Usually, cysts are harmless, but they may be removed surgically if they cause discomfort or distress to the people who have them. KEYWORD for searching the Internet and other reference sources Dermatology Where Are Cysts Found in the Body?Cysts may develop in many areas on the inside or outside of the body. They may be found in the mouth around a developing tooth, in the skin around a hair follicle or sweat gland, in other glands, in the spinal cord, in the liver, in bone tissue, in ovaries*, and in other parts of the body.
Cysts form most often when fluid in a gland* becomes blocked in the ducts or tubes leading out of the gland. Sometimes cysts form because the glands are overactive and produce more fluid than the tissues can absorb. Another cause of cyst formation is the presence of parasites in vital organs, like the liver or brain.
What Are the Different Types of Cysts?Cysts are classified mainly by their location in the body. Some of the most common are:
“Bible Bumps” Ganglion cysts of the wrist used to be called “Bible bumps.” The home remedy for ganglion cysts used to be rupturing them by hitting them with a big book. Many people had only the Farmer’s Almanac and the Bible in the home. Because the Bible was the bigger book, it was used to break the cyst. How Are Cysts Treated?Most cysts do not need treatment. If cysts become painful, or if they form on visible parts of the body like the hand or around the ears, the doctor may remove them. Cysts can be removed by sucking out the fluid with a needle and syringe (aspiration) or with surgery. Surgery is more effective. When the fluid is removed with a needle, there is a tendency for the cyst to return. Sometimes cysts disappear without any treatment. See also |
|
|
Cite this article
"Cyst." Complete Human Diseases and Conditions. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Cyst." Complete Human Diseases and Conditions. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3497700119.html "Cyst." Complete Human Diseases and Conditions. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3497700119.html |
|
cyst
cyst (sist) n.
1. an abnormal sac or closed cavity lined with epithelium and filled with liquid or semisolid matter. There are many varieties of cysts occurring in different parts of the body. See dermoid cyst, fimbrial cyst, hydatid, ovarian cyst, retention cyst, sebaceous cyst. 2. a dormant stage produced during the life cycle of certain protozoan parasites of the alimentary canal, including Giardia and Entamoeba. 3. a structure formed by and surrounding the larvae of certain parasitic worms. |
|
|
Cite this article
"cyst." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cyst." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-cyst.html "cyst." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-cyst.html |
|
cyst
cyst / sist/ • n. Biol. in an animal or plant, a thin-walled, hollow organ or cavity containing a liquid secretion; a sac, vesicle, or bladder. ∎ Med. in the body, a membranous sac or cavity of abnormal character containing fluid. ∎ a tough protective capsule enclosing the larva of a parasitic worm or the resting stage of an organism. |
|
|
Cite this article
"cyst." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cyst." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-cyst.html "cyst." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-cyst.html |
|
cyst
cyst A thick-walled resting cell formed by bacteria of the genus Azotobacter and by certain methane-utilizing bacteria.
|
|
|
Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "cyst." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "cyst." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-cyst.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "cyst." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-cyst.html |
|
cyst
cyst sac, esp. of morbid matter. XVIII. — modL. cystis — Gr. kústis bladder.
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "cyst." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "cyst." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-cyst.html T. F. HOAD. "cyst." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-cyst.html |
|
cyst
cyst
•assist, cist, coexist, consist, cyst, desist, enlist, exist, fist, gist, grist, hist, insist, list, Liszt, mist, persist, resist, schist, subsist, tryst, twist, whist, wist, wrist
•Dadaist • deist • fideist • Hebraist
•Mithraist • essayist • prosaist
•hobbyist, lobbyist
•Trotskyist • boniest • copyist • veriest
•pantheist • atheist • polytheist
•monotheist
•Maoist, Taoist
•oboist • egoist • jingoist • banjoist
•soloist • Titoist • Shintoist
•canoeist, tattooist, Uist
•voodooist • altruist • casuist
•euphuist • Lamaist • vibist • cubist
•Arabist • faddist • propagandist
•contrabandist • avant-gardist • eldest
•sadist • encyclopedist
•immodest, modest
•Girondist • keyboardist
•harpsichordist • nudist • Buddhist
•unprejudiced • Talmudist
•psalmodist • threnodist • hymnodist
•monodist • chiropodist • parodist
•heraldist • rhapsodist • prosodist
•Methodist • absurdist
|
|
|
Cite this article
"cyst." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cyst." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-cyst.html "cyst." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-cyst.html |
|
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
![Popping huge [ Boil / Cyst ]...](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/z_BIzoseRUY/0.jpg "Popping huge [ Boil / Cyst ]...")
