Due to its classification, a dermoid cyst can occur wherever a teratoma can occur.

Dermoid cysts can appear in young children, often near the lateral aspect of the eyebrow (right part of the right eyebrow or left part of the left eyebrow). Depending on the perceived amount of risk, these are sometimes excised or simply kept under observation.

An inflammatory reaction can occur if a dermoid cyst is disrupted, and the cyst can recur if it is not completely excised. Sometimes complete excision is not practical if the cyst is in a dumbbell configuration, whereby it extends through a suture line in the skull.

If dermoid cysts appear on the medial aspect, the possibility of an encephalocele becomes greater and should be considered among the differential diagnoses.

Dermoid cysts develop during pregnancy. They occur when skin cells and things like hair, sweat glands, oil glands or fatty tissue get trapped in the skin as a baby grows in the womb.Dermoid cysts are present at birth (congenital) and are common. It can be months or years before a dermoid cyst is noticed on a child because the cysts grow slowly.

Dermoid cyst symptoms are minor and the cysts are usually painless. They are not harmful to a child’s health. If they become infected, the infection must be treated and the cyst should be removed. It is easier to remove cysts and prevent scars if the cyst is removed before it gets infected.

Some or all of the following symptoms may be present, though it is possible not to experience any symptoms:

- Abdominal pain. Dull aching pain within the abdomen or pelvis, especially during intercourse.

- Uterine bleeding. Pain during or shortly after beginning or end of menstrual period; irregular periods, or abnormal uterine bleeding or spotting.

- Fullness, heaviness, pressure, swelling, or bloating in the abdomen.

- When a cyst ruptures from the ovary, there may be sudden and sharp pain in the lower abdomen on one side.

- Change in frequency or ease of urination (such as inability to fully empty the bladder), or difficulty with bowel movements due to pressure on adjacent pelvic anatomy.

- Constitutional symptoms such as fatigue, headaches

- Nausea or vomiting

- Weight gain

Other symptoms may depend on the cause of the cysts:

- Symptoms that may occur if the cause of the cysts is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) may include increased facial hair or body hair, acne, obesity and infertility.

- If the cause is endometriosis, then periods may be heavy, and intercourse painful.

The effect of cysts not related to PCOS on fertility is unclear.

An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac within the ovary. Often they cause no symptoms. Occasionally they may produce bloating, lower abdominal pain, or lower back pain. The majority of cysts are harmless. If the cyst either breaks open or causes twisting of the ovary, it may cause severe pain. This may result in vomiting or feeling faint.

Most ovarian cysts are related to ovulation, being either follicular cysts or corpus luteum cysts. Other types include cysts due to endometriosis, dermoid cysts, and cystadenomas. Many small cysts occur in both ovaries in polycystic ovarian syndrome. Pelvic inflammatory disease may also result in cysts. Rarely, cysts may be a form of ovarian cancer. Diagnosis is undertaken by pelvic examination with an ultrasound or other testing used to gather further details.

Often, cysts are simply observed over time. If they cause pain, medications such as paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen may be used. Hormonal birth control may be used to prevent further cysts in those who are frequently affected. However, evidence does not support birth control as a treatment of current cysts. If they do not go away after several months, get larger, look unusual, or cause pain, they may be removed by surgery.

Most women of reproductive age develop small cysts each month. Large cysts that cause problems occur in about 8% of women before menopause. Ovarian cysts are present in about 16% of women after menopause and if present are more likely to be cancer.

A small cyst that requires magnification to be seen, may be called a microcyst. Similarly, a cyst that is larger than usual or compared to others, may be called a macrocyst.

The aneurysmal bone cyst is a neoplastic cyst, more specifically, an aggressive lesion with radiographic cystic appearance.

Theca lutein cyst is a type of bilateral functional ovarian cyst filled with clear, straw-colored fluid. To be classified a functional cyst, the mass must reach a diameter of at least three centimeters.

These cysts result from exaggerated physiological stimulation (hyperreactio luteinalis) and are usually associated with markedly elevated levels of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG). They are thus associated with gestational trophoblastic disease (molar pregnancy), diabetes mellitus, alloimmunisation to Rh-D, and multiple gestations. They have rarely been associated with chronic kidney disease (secondary to reduced hCG clearance) and hyperthyroidism (given the structural homology with TSH). These cysts resolve after pregnancy. Rarely, when the theca-lutein cysts are stimulated by gonadotropins, massive ascites can result. In most cases however, abdominal symptoms are minimal and restricted to peritoneal irritation from cyst hemorrhage. Surgical intervention may be required to remove ruptured or infarcted tissue.

Women who smoke have a twofold increase for functional cysts.

The scalp, ears, back, face, and upper arm, are common sites of sebaceous cysts, though they may occur anywhere on the body except the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. In males a common place for them to develop is the scrotum and chest. They are more common in hairier areas, where in cases of long duration they could result in hair loss on the skin surface immediately above the cyst. They are smooth to the touch, vary in size, and are generally round in shape.

They are generally mobile masses that can consist of:

- Fibrous tissues and fluids,

- A fatty (keratinous) substance that resembles cottage cheese, in which case the cyst may be called "keratin cyst". This material has a characteristic "cheesy" or foot odor smell,

- A somewhat viscous, serosanguineous fluid (containing purulent and bloody material).

The nature of the contents of a sebaceous cyst, and of its surrounding capsule, differs depending on whether the cyst has ever been infected.

With surgery, a cyst can usually be excised in its entirety. Poor surgical technique, or previous infection leading to scarring and tethering of the cyst to the surrounding tissue, may lead to rupture during excision and removal. A completely removed cyst will not recur, though if the patient has a predisposition to cyst formation, further cysts may develop in the same general area.

It can, however, grow to almost 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter and has the potential to bleed into itself or twist the ovary, causing pelvic or abdominal pain. If it fills with blood, the cyst may rupture, causing internal bleeding and sharp pain. This pain disappears within a few days of the rupture. Rarely, it may cause the ovary to twist around the ovarian ligament and can cut off the blood flow to the ovary. This is known as ovarian torsion and causes pain and other symptoms.

A breast cyst is a fluid-filled sac within the breast. One breast can have one or more breast cysts. They are often described as round or oval lumps with distinct edges. In texture, a breast cyst usually feels like a soft grape or a water-filled balloon, but sometimes a breast cyst feels firm.

Breast cysts can be painful and may be worrisome but are generally benign. They are most common in pre-menopausal women in their 30s or 40s. They usually disappear after menopause, but may persist or reappear when using hormone therapy. They are also common in adolescents.

Breast cysts can be part of fibrocystic disease. The pain and swelling is usually worse in the second half of the menstrual cycle or during pregnancy.

Treating breast cysts is usually not necessary unless they are painful or cause discomfort. In most cases, the discomfort they cause may be alleviated by draining the fluid from the cyst. The cysts form as a result of the growth of the milk glands and their size may range from smaller than a pea to larger than a ping pong ball. Small cysts cannot be felt during a physical examination, and some large cysts feel like lumps. However, most cysts, regardless of their size cannot be identified during physical exams.

Breast cysts are not to be confused with "milk cysts" (galactoceles), which usually appear during weaning.

Signs and symptoms of breast cysts include:

- A smooth, easily movable round or oval breast lump with distinct edges

- Breast pain or tenderness in the area of the lump

- Increased lump size and tenderness just before menstruation

- Decreased lump size and resolution of other signs and symptoms after menstruation

- Having one or many simple breast cysts does not increase a person's risk of breast cancer.

Lumps in the breast are often not found during self-examinations or physical exams. However, in some cases they can be felt at touch, especially if they are larger.

Breasts are usually lumpy or nodular as a result of the hormonal changes that women go through during their menstrual cycle. However, new breast lumps should always be referred to a specialist.

Fluid leaking from a cyst, as may happen due to puncture or vigorous compression during mammography, or due to seatbelt injury in the course of an automobile accident, may trigger an aseptic inflammation in the surrounding breast tissue.

Thyroglossal duct cysts most often present with a palpable asymptomatic midline neck mass above the level of the hyoid bone. The mass on the neck moves during swallowing or on protrusion of the tongue because of its attachment to the tongue via the tract of thyroid descent. Some patients will have neck or throat pain, or dysphagia.

The persistent duct or sinus can promote oral secretions, which may cause cysts to become infected. Up to half of thyroglossal cysts are not diagnosed until adult life. The tract can lie dormant for years or even decades, until some kind of stimulus leads to cystic dilation. Infection can sometimes cause the transient appearance of a mass or enlargement of the cyst, at times with periodic recurrences. Spontaneous drainage may also occur. Differential diagnosis are ectopic thyroid, enlarged lymph nodes, dermoid cysts and goiter.

Thyroglossal cyst usually presents as a midline neck lump (in the region of the hyoid bone) that is usually painless, smooth and cystic, though if infected, pain can occur. There may be difficulty breathing, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), or dyspepsia (discomfort in the upper abdomen), especially if the cyst becomes large.

The most common location for a thyroglossal cyst is midline or slightly off midline, between the isthmus of the thyroid and the hyoid bone or just above the hyoid bone. A thyroglossal cyst can develop anywhere along a thyroglossal duct, though cysts within the tongue or in the floor of the mouth are rare.A thyroglossal cyst will move upwards with protrusion of the tongue.Thyroglossal cysts are associated with an increased incidence of ectopic thyroid tissue. Occasionally, a lingual thyroid can be seen as a flattened strawberry-like lump at the base of the tongue.

Nabothian cysts appear most often as firm bumps on the cervix's surface. A woman may notice the cyst when inserting a diaphragm or cervical cap, or when checking the cervix as part of fertility awareness. A health care provider may notice the cysts during a pelvic exam.

The epidermoid cyst may have no symptoms, or it may hurt when touched. It can release pus. It is very common for women on the major or minor labia. In contrast to pilar cysts, epidermoid cysts are usually present on parts of the body with relatively little hair.

Occasionally, an epidermoid cyst will present with Trigeminal neuralgia.

Although they are not malignant, there are rare cases of malignant tumors arising from an epidermoid cyst.

A sebaceous cyst is a term commonly used to refer to either:

- Epidermoid cysts (also termed "epidermal cysts", "infundibular cyst"), or

- Pilar cysts (also termed "trichelemmal cysts", "isthmus-catagen cysts").

Both of the above types of cyst contain keratin, not sebum, and neither originates from sebaceous glands. Epidermoid cysts originate in the epidermis and pilar cysts originate from hair follicles. Therefore, technically speaking they are not sebaceous cysts. "True" sebaceous cysts, cysts which originate from sebaceous glands and which contain sebum, are relatively rare and are known as steatocystoma simplex or, if multiple, as steatocystoma multiplex.

It has been suggested by medical professionals that the term "sebaceous cyst" be avoided since it can be misleading. In practice however, the term is still often used for epidermoid and pilar cysts.

An infected thyroglossal duct cyst can occur when it is left untreated for a certain amount of time or simply when a thyroglossal duct cyst hasn't been suspected. The degree of infection can be examined as major rim enhancement has occurred, located inferior to the hyoid bone. Soft tissue swelling occurs, along with airway obstruction and trouble swallowing, due to the rapid enlargement of the cyst.

With infections, there can be rare cases where an expression of fluid is projected into the pharynx causing other problems within the neck.

A nabothian cyst (or nabothian follicle) is a mucus-filled cyst on the surface of the cervix. They are most often caused when stratified squamous epithelium of the ectocervix (toward the vagina) grows over the simple columnar epithelium of the endocervix (toward the uterus). This tissue growth can block the cervical crypts (subdermal pockets usually 2–10 mm in diameter), trapping cervical mucus inside the crypts.

A Corpus luteum cyst is a type of ovarian cyst which may rupture about the time of menstruation, and take up to three months to disappear entirely. A corpus luteum cyst rarely occurs at age 50+, because eggs are no longer being released in menopausal women. Corpus luteum cysts may contain blood and other fluids. The physical shape of a corpus luteum cyst may appear as an enlargement of the ovary itself, rather than a distinct mass -like growth on the surface of the ovary.

Most cysts in the body are benign (dysfunctional) tumors, the result of plugged ducts or other natural body outlets for secretions. However, sometimes these masses are considered neoplasm:

- Keratocyst

- Calcifying odotogenic cyst

- According to the current (2005) classification of the World Health Organization, both (parakeratizied) odontogenic keratocyst and calcifying odotogenic cyst have neoplastic characteristics, thus renamed as Keratocystic odontogenic tumor and Calcifying odotogenic tumor, respectively.

- Cystic ameloblastoma

- Long standing dentigerous cyst, odontogenic keratocyst, and residual cyst may have neoplastic potential converting into the locally aggressive ameloblastoma, or the malignant squamous cell carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Symptoms are assessed on a case by case basis. Some cysts in the CNS can be asymptomatic (producing or showing no symptoms), depending on their location in the brain or spinal cord. If the cysts develop in critical areas of the central nervous system, they can present one or more of the following symptoms:

- Pressure in the spinal cord or brain

- Rupture of nerves around the cyst

- Weakness in specific parts of the body controlled by the cyst-infected brain region

- Inflammation

- Hydrocephalus

- Brainstem hemorrhage

- Seizures

- Visual disturbances and hearing Loss

- Headache

- Difficulty with balance or walking

In general, symptoms vary depending on the type of cyst and its location within the CNS.

A cyst of Montgomery is a benign breast mass, usually found in adolescent girls. Typically, it resolves spontaneously by itself.

An epidermoid cyst is a benign cyst usually found on the skin. The cyst develops out of ectodermal tissue. Histologically, it is made of a thin layer of squamous epithelium.

The periareolar glands of Montgomery in the breast are also called Montgomery tubercles or Morgagni tubercles. These periareolar glands are small, papular tissue projections at the edge of the areola (nipple).

Obstruction of the Montgomery tubercles may result in an acute inflammation, a clear or light brownish fluid may drain out of the areola (nipple discharge), and an subareolar mass may develop, the cyst of Montgomery.

Odontogenic cyst are a group of jaw cysts that are formed from tissues involved in odontogenesis (tooth development). Odontogenic cysts are closed sacs, and have a distinct membrane derived from rests of odontogenic epithelium. It may contain air, fluids, or semi-solid material. Intra-bony cysts are most common in the jaws, because the mandible and maxilla are the only bones with epithelial components. That odontogenic epithelium is critical in normal tooth development. However, epithelial rests may be the origin for the cyst lining later.

Not all oral cysts are odontogenic cyst. For example, mucous cyst of the oral mucosa and nasolabial duct cyst are not of odontogenic origin.

In addition, there are several conditions with so-called (radiographic) 'pseudocystic appearance' in jaws; ranging from anatomic variants such as Stafne static bone cyst, to the aggressive aneurysmal bone cyst.

Cysts rarely cause any symptoms, unless they become secondarily infected. The signs depend mostly upon the size and location of the cyst. If the cyst has not expanded beyond the normal anatomical boundaries of the bone, then there will be no palpable lump outside or inside the mouth. The vast majority of cysts expand slowly, and the surrounding bone has time to increase its density around the lesion, which is the body's attempt to isolate the lesion. Cysts that have expanded beyond the normal anatomic boundaries of a bone are still often covered with a thin layer of new bone. At this stage, there may be a sign termed "eggshell cracking", where the thinned cortical plate cracks when pressure is applied. A lump may be felt, which may feel hard if there is still bone covering the cyst, or fluctuant if the cyst has eroded through the bone surrounding it. A cyst may become acutely infected, and discharge into the oral cavity via a sinus. Adjacent teeth may be loosened, tilted or even moved bodily. Rarely, roots of teeth are resorbed, depending upon the type of cyst. The inferior alveolar nerve runs through the mandible and supplies sensation to the lower lip and chin. As most cysts expand slowly, there will be no altered sensation (anesthesia or paraesthesia), since the inferior alveolar canal is harmlessly enveloped or displaced over time. More aggressive cysts, or acute infection of any cyst may cause altered sensation.