5. Epidermoid Cyst Epidermoid cysts inside the belly button can become infected and rupture, causing a foul-smelling, thick, white or yellow discharge.

Question: I had a sebaceous cyst removed from my chest a few years ago when it got infected, and I notice another one has developed on the back of my thigh. It is different looking though, as it ...

Still, even after an infection has been treated, a dermoid cyst will not go away on its own. Only surgical extraction of the entire sac will remove the cyst.

A brain scan and photograph showing the cyst removed from the 14-year-old boy's brain. The abnormality developed after the boy contracted a parasitic tapeworm infection. The New England Journal of ...

The cyst can also become infected and form an abscess, or a painful, puss-filled pocket. Once branchial cysts begin growing, doctors will advise immediate removal to prevent further infection.

If the cyst becomes infected it must be drained or incised in order to heal. Although antibiotics may help to improve the infection, it will not resolve the infection without draining the cyst first.