Branchial cleft cyst - A case report with review of literature

Abstract

Branchial cleft cysts are the most common congenital neck masses. The other name for Branchial cleft cyst is Benign cervical lymphoepithelial cyst, which occurs on the lateral aspect of the neck. These cysts originate from remnants of the branchial arches or branchial pouches. The lesions presents as an asymptomatic circumscribed movable mass on the anterior border of the sternocledomastoid muscle. Many cases have been reported at the angle of the mandible, in the submandibular area and even in the pre-auricular and parotid areas. Dentist should be aware of this entity, because it can be easily confused with an odontogenic infection or parotid pathology, especially, if it develops high up in the neck. A solitary, 1 month old swelling on the right submandibular region, in a 13-year-old girl, caused diagnostic dilemma with clinical presentation. Diagnosis was done after all the investigations and treated accordingly.