Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Management and Associated Pathologies
Summary
Thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDCs) represent the most common congenital midline neck anomaly, arising from persistent embryonic thyroid tract remnants. Clinically, they present as painless, fluctuant swellings that move with tongue protrusion and deglutition. Ultrasonography remains the first-line imaging modality, supplemented by CT or MRI when malignancy or atypical anatomy is suspected. The standard treatment is the Sistrunk procedure, which entails en bloc excision of the cyst, tract and median portion of the hyoid bone to minimise recurrence. Postoperative recurrence rates are low when the procedure is performed with meticulous attention to tract clearance. Rare pathologies associated with TGDCs include lipomas confined to the tract, inflammatory fistulae and, in under 1 per cent of cases, carcinoma—most often papillary thyroid carcinoma. Management of TGDC carcinoma necessitates a tailored approach: cyst excision alone may suffice in low-risk cases, whereas concurrent total thyroidectomy, lymph node dissection and adjuvant radioactive iodine therapy are reserved for multifocal or invasive disease. Contemporary practice debates involve the role of prophylactic drain placement, hyoid-sparing techniques in benign anomalies and the necessity of long-term surveillance imaging in asymptomatic patients.
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Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Management and Associated Pathologies publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in thyroglossal duct cyst management and associated pathologies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Thyroglossal duct cyst (TGDC): A congenital midline neck cyst arising from persistent thyroid tract remnants.
Sistrunk procedure: Surgical excision of the TGDC, its tract and the central hyoid bone to reduce recurrence.
Papillary thyroid carcinoma: The most common histological type of malignancy found within a TGDC.
Fine-needle aspiration (FNA): A minimally invasive biopsy technique used to sample cystic or solid neck lesions for cytological analysis.
References
- Thyroglossal Duct Lipoma: A Case Report and a Systematic Review of the Literature for Its Management. Diagnostics (2023).
- Thyroglossal duct pathology and mimics. Insights into Imaging (2019).
- Thyroglossal Duct Cyst, a Case Report and Literature Review. Diseases (2022).
- Is There Any Benefit of Drain Placement on Postoperative Complications in Patients Undergoing the Sistrunk Procedure?. International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology (2015).
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