Korean J Radiol.  2006 Jun;7(2):149-151. 10.3348/kjr.2006.7.2.149.

Sonographic Detection of Intrathyroidal Branchial Cleft Cyst: A Case Report

• Lee HJ
• Kim EK
• Hong SW

• KMID: 1782189
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/kjr.2006.7.2.149

Abstract

We report here on an extremely rare case of an intrathyroidal branchial cleft cyst. Intrathyroidal branchial cleft cyst is rare disease entity and it has nonspecific findings on sonography, so the diagnosis of the lesion is very difficult. However, during aspiration, if pus-like materials are aspirated from a thyroid cyst, we should consider the possibility of intrathyroidal branchial cleft cyst in the differential diagnosis.

Keyword

Thyroid cyst, Branchial cleft cyst, Branchial cleft anomaly, Neck mass, Ultrasound

MeSH Terms

Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology/*ultrasonography
Thyroid Gland/ultrasonography
Humans
Female
Diagnosis, Differential
Branchioma/pathology/*ultrasonography
Biopsy, Fine-Needle
Adult

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 A, B. Transverse (A) sonography of thyroid glnad shows a well-defined, oval shaped, anechoic mass (white arrow) at the posterior aspect of mid portion of the right thyroid gland. During sonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy for the cystic lesion, thick yellowish pus like fluid was aspirated. In longitudinal sonography (B), a small 0.5 cm sized hypoechoic lesion (white arrow) inferior to the cystic lesion was confirmed as papillary carcinoma. C. A cystic lesion is located on the thyroid surface, measuring about 1×0.8 cm. The inner linings are ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium without smooth muscle or a cartilagenous component (H & E stain, ×100).

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