BRANCHIAL AND THYROGLOSSAL CYSTS

THE BRANCHIAL AND THYROGLOSSAL CYSTS

Cyst is a medical term meaning a lump filled with liquid.

Thyroglossal and branchial cysts occur in the neck and are congenital, that is, they are already born with the person and are therefore manifest in childhood or in young adults, although there are some cases in older age groups.

The main symptom is a palpable or visible nodule in the neck. However, some of them can vary in size over time with pain and local infection of different magnitudes.

Definitive treatment is the removal of the cyst through surgical intervention.

Proper advice on surgery, possible complications, and the most appropriate time to perform the surgery during the course of the disease, is essential!

It is important to note that some cancers may have nodules of the neck that contain liquid inside, and therefore can be confused with a thyroglossal or branchial cyst.

The approach to cancer in this area is very different from the approach to a branchial or thyroglossal cyst, where confusion between the two diagnoses can definitively compromise the patient's prognosis.

Hence, it is extremely important that the investigation and diagnosis are done properly before any surgery.

At the Instituto Português da Face, we have team members with experience in a multidisciplinary approach to benign, pre-malignant and malignant diseases of the neck and who can conduct your case in the clearest and most realistic way possible.