Failure of sclerotherapy in the treatment of thyroglossal duct cyst in children: 2 case reports and review of the literature

Abstract

Thyroglossal duct cyst (TGDC) is one of most common congenital diseases of the midline of the neck. Most TGDC cases require treatment in the cases of cosmetic problems or recurrent infection, and a Sistrunk operation is considered to be the standard treatment. However, less invasive treatments are sometimes used, and sclerotherapy with OK-432 or ethanol is one such method. However, the validity or use of sclerotherapy as a TGDC treatment is controversial because cases of TGDC that have been successfully treated with sclerotherapy are rare, and the follow-up period is short, and there are no statistical reports about the reoccurrence of symptoms after sclerotherapy. In this report, we review 2 recurrent TGDC cases after sclerotherapy with OK-432 and ethanol and discuss the efficacy and limitations of sclerotherapy.