Ultrasonography.  2018 Jan;37(1):71-77. 10.14366/usg.17027.

Ultrasonographic features differentiating thyroglossal duct cysts from dermoid cysts

• Choi HI
• Choi YH
• Cheon JE
• Kim WS
• Kim IO

• KMID: 2401148
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14366/usg.17027

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to identify ultrasonographic features that can be used to differentiate between thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDCs) and dermoid cysts (DCs).
METHODS
We searched surgical pathology reports completed between January 2004 and October 2015 and identified 66 patients with TGDCs or DCs who had undergone preoperative ultrasonography. The ultrasound images were reviewed by two radiologists who were blinded to the pathological diagnosis. They evaluated the following parameters: dimensions, shape, margin, location in relation to the midline, level in relation to the hyoid bone, attachment to the hyoid bone, the depth of the lesion in relation to the strap muscles, internal echogenicity, internal echogenic dots, multilocularity, the presence of a longitudinal extension into the tongue base, posterior acoustic enhancement, the presence of internal septae, and intralesional vascularity.
RESULTS
There were 50 TGDCs and 16 DCs. TGDCs were significantly more likely than DCs to have an irregular shape, an ill-defined margin, attachment to the hyoid bone, an intramuscular location, heterogeneous internal echogenicity, multilocularity, and longitudinal extension into the tongue base.
CONCLUSION
Ultrasound findings may inform the differential diagnosis between TGDCs and DCs.

Keyword

Thyroglossal cyst; Dermoid cyst; Pediatrics; Neck mass; Ultrasonography

MeSH Terms

Acoustics
Dermoid Cyst*
Diagnosis
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Hyoid Bone
Muscles
Pathology, Surgical
Pediatrics
Thyroglossal Cyst*
Tongue
Ultrasonography