Branchial cyst: A diagnostic dilemma and a surgical challenge

Abstract

Branchial cleft cysts typically present as a unilateral, fluctuant soft tissue swelling that are mostly localised deep to the anterior border of sternocleidomastoid in the lateral aspect of the neck at the junction of its upper third and lower two third. Diagnosis is usually straightforward and can be made clinically however FNAC facilitates diagnosis.Unusually they can mimic as an abscess or metastatic node and less commonly present at an unusual location. We encountered 3 cases where patients presented with neck swelling either with unusual presentation or atypical location or inconclusive FNA. This report describes a series of patients in which the diagnosis of branchial cysts was not straightforward and posed a diagnostic challenge.

Keywords

• Branchial cleft cysts
• FNAC
• Surgical excision