Thyroglossal Duct Lesions in Childhood

Kim, Eun Gi; Kim, Jae Chun

Abstract

Thirty-four consecutive cases of thyroglossal duct lesions in children were reviewed at the Department of Surgery, Chonbuk National University Hospital. Twenty patients were males, and the most prevalent age of discovering was 2 to 4 years(52.9%). Resection was performed within .2 years after discovering the lesions in 19 cases, but was delayed untill 4 to 10 years in 6 cases. Cystic lesions(85.3%) were 5.8 times more common than fistulas. A midline upper neck mass was found in every cystic cases, and a draining sinus at hyoid region was noticed in fistula patients. The location of the lesion was on the hyoid bone in 34 cases, at the midline in 31 cases, slightly to the left in 2 cases, and slightly to the right in 1. Two cases were misdiagnosed as lymphadenopathy, and a single case of ectopic thyroid gland was misinterpreted as a thyroglossal duct cyst. Modified Sistrunk operation was performed in twenty-three cases(67.6%), Sistrunk operation in 9(26.5%), and cyst excision in 2(5.9%). Postoperative complications occurred in 4 cases(l1.8%); 2 wound infections and 2 recurrences. One of recurrences was a fistula treated by modified Sistrunk operation, and the other was a cyst treated by cyst excision.