Conjunctival Retention Cysts: Outcomes of Aspiration and Sclerotherapy With Sodium Tetradecyl Sulfate.

Purpose: To assess the outcome of aspiration and sclerotherapy with sodium tetradecyl sulfate in the management of conjunctival inclusion cysts.

Methods: Retrospective interventional case series of 6 patients with clinical diagnosis of conjunctival inclusion cysts treated with cyst aspiration and foam sclerotherapy with 3% sodium tetradecyl sulfate. The volume of the sclerosant was 20% of the aspirated cyst volume.

Results: Four patients had an inclusion cyst in anophthalmic sockets and 2 patients in sighted eyes. Average time lag between primary surgery and cyst formation was 14.6 months (range 2-30 months). Average amount of fluid aspirated from cyst was 3.07 ml (range 1-9 ml). Average volume of sclerosant injected was (20% of the aspirated volume) 0.55 ml (range 0.2-1.1 ml). All 6 patients showed complete resolution of cyst at a mean follow-up period of 15.6 months (range 9-24 months). All but one showed complete resolution of cyst with single injection sclerosant. Only 1 patient required a second sclerosant injection. There was no ocular surface or implant-related complications in this cohort.

Conclusions: Cyst aspiration and sodium tetradecyl sulfate foam sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure for the management of conjunctival inclusion cysts in anophthalmic sockets and sighted eyes. The injection of sodium tetradecyl sulfate in a dose of 20% of the aspirate is effective in the management of conjunctival inclusion cysts over a follow-up period of 13 months. The procedure is safe, with insignificant inflammation and without ocular surface or implant complications.