Cervical bronchogenic cyst: asymptomatic neck mass in an adult male

Abstract

Bronchogenic cysts are rare congenital malformations of ventral foregut development. They are usually located in the mediastinum and intrapulmonary regions. Localization in the cervical area is unusual and the majority of cases reported have been found in the pediatric population: the literature reports few cases in adults. We describe a 57-year-old male who presented an asymptomatic right lateral neck mass. Diagnostic studies included chest X-ray, pharyngo-esophagus double-contrast X-ray, computed tomography (CT), and bronchoscopy. The mass was excised through a transverse right cervical skin incision. The right lateral neck mass of the patient was identified as a bronchogenic cyst. The embryology, the presentation, the pathological and radiological evaluation, treatment of the cyst and a review of the English literature are reported in this paper. Cervical bronchogenic cysts are usually diagnosed in the pediatric population; these lesions are rare in adults. We suggest that the clinical observation of an asymptomatic lateral neck mass in an adult should include the possibility of a bronchogenic cyst in the differential diagnosis. Surgical excision is the elective treatment for this tumor, in order to prevent complications including infection, compression symptoms, malignant transformation, and the rare but fatal air embolism.