A dermoid cyst is a congenital lesion, often on the face, and is a fixed subcutaneous nodule, unlike a potentially mobile lymph node in a known lymphatic basin.
An epidermoid cyst is attached to the overlying skin, often with a visible central punctum, whereas a lymph node is deeper and not attached to the skin.
A lipoma is characteristically soft, doughy, and lobulated, a very different texture from the firmer, bean-shaped feel of a lymph node.
A neurofibroma is a soft, fleshy tumor of nerve sheath origin, not a component of the lymphatic system.
