A recently encountered patient has again brought to our attention the entity of angular dermoids of the eyebrow. We wish to relate our experiences with these tumors. The variability in location of dermoid tumors is well known. Dermoids of the eyebrow are usually categorized with orbital tumors and are frequently dealt with by the ophthalmologist.
An angular dermoid occurs at the outer angle of the eye, beneath or in close proximity to the eyebrow (Fig. 1). It contains elements derived from two germ layers: mesoderm and ectoderm. Developmentally, these tumors are thought to represent inclusions of ectoderm along the lines of closing fissures; however, this concept cannot be completely accepted, since facial fissures close by subepithelial extension only. These tumors may be closely related to an anomalous fusion of the visceral and paraxial tissues in the orbital area.3
Characteristically, these tumors are ovid, soft to firm, and may be