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Case Reports
. 2023 Aug 13;15(8):e43432.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.43432. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Nasopharyngeal Branchial Cleft Cyst: A Rare Case Report and Literature Review

Suzan Alzaidi  1 , Omar A Alsulami  2 , Saad Alqarni  1 , Alshema Alqurashi  1 , Abdullah Ghafouri  1 , Elham S Bin Abbas  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Nasopharyngeal Branchial Cleft Cyst: A Rare Case Report and Literature Review

Suzan Alzaidi et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Branchial cleft cysts are birth defects that happen when the first through fourth pharyngeal clefts do not close properly and most of these cysts develop from the second cleft. Second branchial cleft cysts are almost always in the neck, so it is rare for them to present in the nasopharynx. We report an extremely rare case of a branchial cleft cyst that is located in an unusual site in the nasopharynx in a 36-year-old male with no prior medical history. Computed tomography scan findings showed non-enhancing thickening of the right side mucosal-pharyngeal space, obliterating the fossa of Rosenmuller with no invasion or erosion. The patient was admitted for nasopharyngeal mass excision, and the mass was sent for histopathology. When a cystic lesion is noted in the lateral nasopharynx, branchial cleft cysts should be on the list of possible diagnoses. Surgery is primarily the treatment. The marsupialization approach is a simple way to treat nasopharyngeal branchial cleft cysts as it is safe and has limited complications.

Keywords: adult male; branchial cleft cysts; ct; nasopharynx; rosenmuller.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Computed tomography scan with contrast, A) axial cut showing right nasopharyngeal mass obliterating fossa of Rosenmuller (Red Arrow). B) coronal cut showing right nasopharyngeal mass obliterating fossa of Rosenmuller (Green Arrow)
Figure 2
Figure 2. A) Photomicrograph slide showing cystic lesion lined by respiratory-type epithelium. Hematoxylin-eosin, magnification x40. B) Photomicrograph slide showing the cystic cavity lined by ciliated respiratory epithelium with underlying tissue showing lymph tissue. Hematoxylin-eosin, magnification x100. C) Photomicrograph slide showing the cystic lumen lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium. Hematoxylin-eosin, magnification x200. D) Slide with hematoxylin-eosin stain showing underlying connective tissue with abundant lymphoid tissue and numerous reactive germinal centres. Hematoxylin-eosin, magnification x200
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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