Surgical experience of nasolabial cyst

Nasolabial cyst is not a common disease. From 1989 to 1996, twenty-five cases were diagnosed and treated by the author. There were five men and twenty women. The age ranged from 30 to 62 with a mean of 45. In these cases, 23 were unilateral and 2 bilateral. Most nasolabial cysts can be diagnosed by clinical manifestations and topography. Although computed tomography is useful in analyzing this cystic lesion and its relationship with surrounding structures, it is expensive and time-consuming. CT scan should be reserved only for those cases which can not be definitely diagnosed at initial consultation. All cysts were excised completely via a transoral, sublabial approach. When the cyst was identified, we immediately cut the cyst wall and drain out the content to completely expose the cyst inner linings, then proceeded to remove the cyst by direct vision of the cyst wall and the surrounding soft tissue. This procedure was slightly different from those described in the previous literature which always tried to keep the cyst wall intact and dissect the cyst along its outer cyst wall. Because this method is an easy and quick procedure to be carried out, we suggest that the surgeons do not hesitate to widly open the cyst whenever it is ruptured during manipulation.