Cervical thymic cyst in adult: a rare entity
Abstract
Cervical thymic cysts in adults are rare and seldom diagnosed preoperatively as it may mimic other cystic cervical swellings like a branchial cleft cyst. We present our first encounter with an adult-onset cervical thymic cyst presenting as a lateral neck mass as the sole symptom. Clinical, radiological and cytological evaluations are excellent tools to approach and assess cervical thymic cysts. Histopatholgical examination is the only mean to provide a definitive diagnosis. Adult-onset cervical thymic cyst is a rare entity but should be included in the differential diagnosis for lateral neck swelling. Surgical excision is both diagnostic and therapeutic, once malignancy has been exluded.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Jaiswal AA, Garg AK, Ravindranath M, Mohanty MK. ‘Multiloculated cervical thymic cyst’: case report with review of literature. EJENTAS. 2014;15:129-33.
Jindal A, Sukheeja D. Unilateral cervical thymic cyst in a child: a rare case report. J Sci Soc. 2016;43:24-6.
Sturm JJ, Dedhia K, Chi DH. Diagnosis and management of cervical thymic cysts in children. Cureus. 2017;9(1):e973.
Shenoy V, Kamath MP, Hegde MC, Aroor RR, Maller VV. Cervical thymic cyst: a rare differential diagnosis in lateral neck swelling. Case Rep Otolaryngol. 2013;2013:350502.
Ji H, Gantwerker E. Cervical thymic cyst. Operative technique in otolaryngology. 2017;28:183-9.
Saggese D, Ceroni Compadretti G, Cartaroni C. Cervical ectopic thymus: a case report and review of the literature. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2002;66(1):77-80.
Michalopoulos N, Papavramidis TS, Karayannopoulou G, Cheva A, Pliakos I, Triantafilopoulou K, et al. Cervical thymic cysts in adults. Thyroid. 2011;21(9):987-92.
Berridge DC, Webb AJ. Cervical thymus cyst and thyroglossal cyst carcinoma. Br J Surg. 1986;73:44.
Alzahrani HA, Iqbal JM, Abu Shaheen AK, Al Harthi BN. Cervical thymic cyst in an adult. Case Rep Surg. 2014;2014:801745.
Delbrouck C, Choufani G, Fernandez Aguilar S, Hassid S. Cervical thymic cyst: a case report. Am J Otolaryngol. 2002;23:256-61.