Marsupialization is the surgical technique of cutting a slit into a cyst and suturing the edges of the slit to form a continuous surface from the exterior to the interior of the cyst. Sutured in this fashion, the cyst remains open and can drain freely. This technique is used to treat a cyst when a single draining would not be effective and complete removal of the surrounding structure would not be desirable.
The technique is often applied to pancreatic cysts, pilonidal cysts, and Bartholin's cysts.[1] In the case of a dentigerous cyst, marsupialization may be performed to allow the growing tooth associated with the cyst to continue eruption into the oral cavity.[2]
When, due to an error of diagnosis, the technique is applied to a dermoid cyst (teratoma) or other tumor, the risk of subsequent tumor recurrence and cancer is much increased.