Difference Between Cyst and Abscess
Cyst vs Abscess
Cyst and abscess are almost similar. These two are benign mass that is filled with some fluid or puss. It can be hard to distinguish between a cyst and abscess at one go whereas only a professional can differentiate them. It is hard to diagnose a cyst from an abscess just by observation. A biopsy can differentiate cyst from abscess.
Cyst is a benign mass filled with fluid or semi-fluid. The cysts are normally not harmful and that depends on the location where it develops. But cysts developed n some vital areas can be harmful. In vital areas, cysts can be an irritation and can become sores.
Cyst is a bladder like pouch that is formed in tissues. Cysts can be formed because of many things. It can be caused by trauma, bacterial infection, scar tissue formation and even cancer. When some of the cysts are not that dangerous and need no treatment, there are other cysts that are very harmful and dangerous and even life threatening.
Similar to cysts, an abscess is more tender and filled with pus. Abscess can be big or small and they come with much pain, especially if seen in vital organs. Abscess is formed when foreign organisms destroy the tissues. An abscess is an infection caused by some bacteria and the immune system trying to fight the bacteria. An abscesses pimple is an example.
A Cyst may lie dormant for a very long period without creating any problems. Once the cyst becomes infected, it could lead to abscess.
Summary
1. Cyst is a benign mass filled with fluid or semi-fluid
2. Similar to cysts, an abscess is more tender and filled with pus
3. Cysts can be formed because of many things. It can be caused by trauma, bacterial infection, scar tissue formation and even cancer.
4. Abscess is formed when foreign organisms destroy the tissues. An abscess is an infection caused by some bacteria and the immune system trying to fight the bacteria.
5. A Cyst may lie dormant for a very long period without creating any problems. Once the cyst becomes infected, it could lead to abscess.
6. The cysts are normally not harmful and that depends on the location where it develops. In vital areas, cysts can be an irritation and can become sores.
7. Abscess can be big or small and they come with much pain, especially if seen in vital organs.
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This reference was very helpful; explained concisely and without throwing in medical nomenclature.
Great site!
FA
Thank you! Easy to understand and build on. Well done :>
I am quite confused. On the 23rd of April my right armpit became tender. I went and looked in the mirror I saw what appeared to be like an ingrown hair like a whitehead. At that point I didn’t know anything more than that’s probably what it was, however, I began to try to squeeze it and it was very very hard but I did get some stuff out of it. As the night preceded it became more more painful. I began using my phone to take pictures of my underarm and watch the progression of my armpit swelling up above the original site that I tryed to squeeze when I thought was just an ingrown hair.Quite quickly and painfully rose a very large dark reddish-blue bump about the size if a quarter. I still really didn’t understand what was going on I have never had anything like this before. I could barely touch that area I did feel around the rest of my armpit as I felt the tenderness continuing more up my arm and down my side as time went on. I continued on with this pain and got to the point that I could not even put my arm down and had gotten so painful and so big within 24 hours, I went to the emergency room late that night. As soon as the doctor looked at it he said we’re going you have to admit you in the hospital you’re going to have to have surgery to drain this and you have cellulitis. The next day I had surgery for the removal or shall I say drainage of this, and this is where my confusion comes in, cyst or boil or abscess. I have never been told exactly what it is. I was given one of the most incompetent general surgeons you can imagine. Pre and post-op I told him that there is not just the one that there are at least four more and he strongly disagree with me basically telling me I was nutty and I didn’t know what I was talking about, however, this is my body I think I know when there’s something that does not belong there. Needless to say he only did surgery on the one large lump. As it was bandaged and I was brought back to my room I had a wound care nurse come in the next day and take the packing out which was not fun and repack it, 20 minutes later she came in and took the packing back out and put a wound pump on on with a piece of prism. Again needless to say I was quite aggravated because the unpacking and the repack was very uncomfortable and she wasn’t exactly what you would call a very gentle person in attitude or action. I continually complained to the nurses and to the wound care nurse and to anyone that would listen that I knew there were four more of these things under my arm. I even told the surgeon 4 or 5 times and not any surprise he basically rolled his eyes and gave me that I don’t know what I’m talking about attitude as he frolicked out of the room. That evening the day after surgery the wound was covered with a dry bandage and had a clear plastic bandaging over top of that with a vacuum pump hooked up to it. There was not one iota is worth of anything coming out of vacuum pump however underneath my arm was still extremely extremely painful!!! I had my arm propped up on three pillows and a pack ice pack underneath it. When I woke next morning around 7 or so I noticed that there was a little bit of drainage coming from another Whitehead that was about a half inch from the bandage that was covering the incision. I was taking pictures regularly and from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. there began to be very little bit of dark yellow brownish fluid coming out of this under the clear bandage I could see it by 9:30 when I take another picture the entire clear band it was completely full I would have to say with at least two ounces of disgusting brownish-yellow infection fluid that has totally filled up the clear bandage was literally sagging from underneath my arm it was so full of pus and infected drainage. As mr. Happy surgeon came frolicking into my room around 10:30 mumbling some bologna about all we’re going to give you antibiotics and send you on your way today I looked at him and said it well did you happen to look at my chart?? And then his cocky normal attitude said oh why do we have to look at your chart now Amy??? I said well you really don’t have to all you have to do is look at this and I brought him over to look at the bandage that was completely full of infection that was completely disgusting and his response was well I guess it’s time to go back into surgery!! I was absolutely livid!!! They sent me for a CAT scan later on that evening to do surgery again the next day however he came in my room the next day and said I don’t see anything on the CAT scan so we’re just going to send you home on some Keflex. I had been on Vicomyacin from the time I was admitted and with his orders to release me to go home with a wound care nurse to visit and that was that. No surgery, he never even came over with gloves on to feel anything I talk to about anything at all. Now I don’t know exactly what the cat scan would show but what I do know is I still have a bump the size a little bit bigger than a quarter above where the one was that was Lanced and one the size of a nickel below the one that was Lanced and several little tiny ones the size of bb”s under my arm still. I went to my PCP today and she now wants me to go back the surgeon and have them look at it and probably have another surgery. So my question confusion is is this a cyst is it a boil or is it an abscess? I have read much online and watch 30 or 40 videos of surgeries where it shows that you have to get the sac out and order for these to not come back. I still have an infection I was put on another 7 days worth of antibiotics today. Fever have the chills the whole nine yards I’m not only confused I’m highly upset and I think that this is a total case incompetency on the surgeons part. Can anyone give me any idea how I could tell the difference if it were a cyst or if these are abscesses because as I have read I know there’s a difference between them. My understanding is that cyst do not have an infection in them however I know they can be drained and get infected but don’t normally cause a problem whereas abscessus will generally have a bacterial infection with white blood cell to fight off the infection. My biggest concern is that I had a serious case of MRSA and 2003 and was in the hospital for 19 days with that. I’m just so frustrated I’m sick and quite worried about what the outcome of this could be, my mother also has lymphoma cancer and has already had half her thyroid removed and quite a few lymph nodes kind of that none of this has even talked about addressed questioned or anything even though I made it clear to them that she has the snake cancer does Iran on both sides my family . Any help or information about this would really be appreciated thank you
I certainly hope you’re in better spirits now Amy. It was difficult to read all the problems you had with that surgeon and even your regular GP. I just had a 10 centimeter cyst / abscess lanced at my doctor this morning. Need to go in tomorrow morning for the same thing and see my gynecologist next Thursday to make sure it’s not any bigger and that he took care of all of it otherwise I’ll have to have surgery general anesthesia in the hospital blah blah blah. My point is hope you got yourself a new doctor or surgeon. I know mine listens and is caring concerned and informative. Best of good health to you.
Good article. But you didn’t talk about the non enhancing and enhancing cyst and abscess which pose more concern to patients
It is hard to take you seriously when your article is written so shittily.
This is a good site easy digested.
I have had many cysts caused by ingrown hair they hurt but my god nothing compared to this absess I just had operated on this pain tips my two ectopic pregnancy and natural childbirth the pain was off the scale I did cry like a baby. Spent four nights in hospital now home justvdreading the DN coming now for dressing change as it’s so so tender and I have to say the pain was like a corkscrew type poker red hot being twisted in and out of my groin imagine that x