[Dermoid cyst of the anterior fontanelle in children: clinical significance and differentiation from encephalocele].

Dermoid cysts of the anterior fontanel present as a tumor lesion that tenses up when the child cries or strains. Their midline position in the skull, the fact that some of these cysts contain clear fluid and the presence of an underlying bone defect, lead the clinician to the erroneous diagnosis of encephalocele, for which they are sent for consultation. We report a series of five of these cysts (3 dermoid and 2 epidermoid) located over the anterior fontanel, remark on their clinical significance, and stress their differential diagnosis from encephalocele and from other tumor lesions of the anterior fontanel.