A Clinical Analysis of Branchial Cleft Cysts

Chung, Yoon Young; Kim, Ki Hwan; Song, Tae Hyeon; Lee, Seung Ju; Oh, Cheon Hwan

doi:10.35420/jcohns.1991.2.2.271

J Clin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1991; 2(2):271-277

pISSN: 1225-0244, eISSN: 2713-833X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35420/jcohns.1991.2.2.271

원저

새성낭종의 임상적 분석

정윤영¹, 김기환¹, 송태현¹, 이승주¹, 오천환¹

A Clinical Analysis of Branchial Cleft Cysts

Yoon Young Chung¹, Ki Hwan Kim¹, Tae Hyeon Song¹, Seung Ju Lee¹, Cheon Hwan Oh¹

Author Information & Copyright ▼

¹순천향대학교 의과대학 천안병원 이비인후과학교실

¹Department of Otolaryngology, Chunan Hospital, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University

© Copyright 1991 The Busan, Ulsan, Gyeoungnam Branch of Korean Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Published Online: May 31, 2020

ABSTRACT

The branchial anomalies are remnants of the embryologie branchial apparatus. Branchial cleft cysts, sinuses, fistulas and cartilaginous nests are classified as first, second and third branchial cleft abnormalities. Second branchial cleft cysts are by far the most common. The sinuses, fistulas and cartilaginous nests are usually noted during infancy and young childhood. However, cysts are frequently not diagnosed until later childhood.

The definitive therapy is complete surgical excision. Inadequate excision leads to recurrence and further inflammatory episodes, rendering subsequent excision extremely difficult.

The authors analyzed 14 cases of branchial cleft cysts which are managed surgically at Chunan Hospital, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University.

The results were as follows;

Distributions of age, sex and between right and left side were not significant.
Duration until the first development of symptoms was 11 ∼30 years in 8 cases(57.2%).
Painless neck mass was most complained in 10 cases(71.4% ).
Among 14 cases, incomplete fistulas were found in 4 cases and complete fistula was not found.
The most common location was upper 1/3 of sternocleidomastoid muscle in 7 cases(50.0 %). According to Bailey’s classification, there were type II in 8 cases(57.1%), type I in 4 cases(28.6%) and type III in 2 cases(14.3%) in order.
Five cases(35.7%) had the previous treated history.
The complete surgical excision of cysts was performed case by case with or without fistulectomy and tonsillectomy.
In histopathologic studies, lining epitheliums were stratified squamous in 9 cases(64.3 %), mixed in 4 cases(28.6%) and columnar in 2 cases(l4.3%).

Keywords: Branchial cleft cysts; Complete surgical excision