An Unusual Cause of Dysphagia in a Young Patient: Mediastinal Bronchogenic Cyst

Abstract

Bronchogenic cysts are rare congenital foregut malformations that develop due to abnormal budding of the embryonic foregut and tracheobronchial tree. Patients typically present during the second decade of life with respiratory symptoms. We present a 22-year-old patient who presented with dysphagia as initial symptom which is very uncommon. This makes it interesting and misleading as it can initially pursue evaluation for gastrointestinal pathology and cause further delay in reaching the diagnosis. Bronchogenic cysts appear on chest radiograph as round, water-density masses. CT typically shows sharply marginated cystic mediastinal masses of soft tissue. On histologic examination, the cyst is lined by respiratory epithelium with occasional foci of squamous metaplasia. The presence of cartilage plates is the most reliable diagnostic criterion. The management of a bronchogenic cyst consists of surgical excision by video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) or thoracotomy. J Med Cases. 2018;9(6):170-172 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3053w