J Korean Radiol Soc.  1994 Apr;30(4):627-631.

Branchial Cleft Anomalies: CT Evaluation

• Park CS
• Seok EH

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this paper is to describe the CT findings of a variety of branchial cleft anomalies in the head and neck area.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We reviewed the CT findings of 16 patients with neck lesion pathologically proved as branchial cleft anomalies. There were two first and 12 second branchial cleft cysts, one first and one second branchial cleft sinuses.
RESULTS
Two cases of first branchial cleft cysts were manifested as thin walled, cystic masses at auricular area. One first branchial cleft sinus was an external opening type and manifested as an ill defined, enhancing solid lesion at posterior auricular area. All 12 cases of second branchial cleft cysts demonstrated a typical location, displacing the sternocleidomastoid muscle posteriorly, the carotid artery and internal jugular vein complex medially and the submandibular gland anteriorly. Eight cases of second branchial cleft cysts were seen as fluid-filled, round or ovoid shaped cysts, and 3 cases of them were seen as irregular-shaped cysts. In one case. suppurative adenopathy with loss of soft tissue planes around the cyst was observed. One case of second branchial cleft sinus was manifested as a tubular-shaped, enhancing lesion at submental area and containing external opening site draining into the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
CONCLUSION
We conclude that CT provides important diagnostic and therapeutic informations in patients with a neck mass believed to be a branchial cleft anomaly, as it can differentiate various forms of the branchial anomalies by their characteristic location and shape.

MeSH Terms

Branchial Region*
Branchioma
Carotid Arteries
Head
Humans
Jugular Veins
Neck
Submandibular Gland