Cervical thymic cysts in the differential diagnosis of lateral neck tumors. Case report

Cervical thymic cysts belong to the rare causes of neck masses and therefor e are frequently not included in a preoperative differental diagnosis. Here we report our experience in managing a 7-year-old boy who presented with a three-month history of a lateral neck mass causing stridor during sleep. C linical findings and macroscopic and histopathological features are describ ed and reviewed with respect to the available literature. The inclusion of a cervical thymic cyst in a preoperative differential diagnosis is importan t for determining the extent of the neck mass and planning any surgical pro cedure.