Congenital cysts and fistulas of the neck

This retrospective study describes a series of 191 children treated for con genital cysts and fistulas of the neck between 1984 and 1999 in the pediatr ic ORL Department of La Timone Children's Hospital. Preauricular fistulas a nd cystic hygromas were not included. The anomalies in this series were cla ssified as either malformations of the midline or malformations of lateroce rvical region. Malformations of the midline included the thyroglossal duct cysts (n = 102) and dermoid cysts (n = 21). The most common malformations o f the laterocervical region were cysts and fistulas of the second cleft (n = 37) followed by those of the first cleft (n = 20),those of the fourth pou ch (n = 7), and thymic cysts (n = 4). Diagnosis of malformations of the mid line is usually straightforward. However, diagnosis of malformation of the laterocervical region can be problematic. Misdiagnosis often leads to inade quate treatment with recurrence and functional as well as cosmetic sequelae . (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.