Abstract

Objective: A clinical study was conducted to evaluate the clinical features, treatment outcomes and to determine the incidence of complications in children with congenital neck lesions treated at our institution between 2002 and 2012 with a special emphasis on thyroglossal duct remnant, branchial cleft anomaly and dermoid cyst.

Material and Methods: In this retrospective study, the diagnosis was made by physical examination, ultrasound in most and for a potential extension of the mass computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging in a few patients and confi rmed by histopathological examination in all of the children.

Results: There are 73 patients with congenital neck lesions in this series. Of the patients, 39 (53.4%) children have thyroglossal duct remnant. The most common clinical presentation of these patients was neck mass, seen in 31 patients. Forty-four operative procedures were performed in these patients and of these 36 were Sistrunk’s procedure including resection of midportion of hyoid bone. Four of children (10.3%) with thyroglossal duct remnant had associated anomalies including Turner syndrome and Morgagni hernia. Inadvertent access into the airway secondary to the Sistrunk’s procedure was observed in a patient and conservative treatment was uneventful. During the study period 25 (34.3%) children with branchial cleft anomaly, 8 children (10.9%) with dermoid cyst and 1 child (1.4%) with soft tissue chondrom were treated. Except a patient with bilateral fi rst branchial cleft anomaly, most of the children with branchial cleft anomaly had second branchial anomalies and there were no patients with third and fourth branchial cleft anomaly or thymic cyst in this series.

Conclusion: TGDR is the commonest CNL and is presented clinically rather late with regard to BCA and DC in this series. Surgical resection is optimal choice of therapy in CNLs not only for aesthetic reasons but for the recurrent infections and the potential danger of malignancy. Associated anomalies may be observed especially in children with TGDR. Early referral of these patients for pediatric surgeons and accurate and timely surgical treatment is suggested

Keywords: Branchial anomaly, Congenital, Dermoid cyst, Thyroglossal duct cyst

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1.
Erikci VS, Hoşgör M, Yıldırım HT. Management of Congenital Neck Lesions in Children: anagement of Congenital Neck Lesions in Children: 11-Year Experience 1-Year Experience. Turk J Pediatr Dis [Internet]. 2014 Dec. 1 [cited 2025 May 25];8(1):1-6. Available from: https://turkjpediatrdis.org/article/view/259