Cervical Lymphoepithelial Cysts Research Articles

A Case of Lymphoepithelial Cyst Mimicking Cervical Plexus Schwannoma

Neck masses can have various origins and diverse presentations, making accurate diagnosis challenging. Schwannomas and lymphoepithelial cysts are commonly encountered neck tumors, and it is hard to get differential diagnosis. A 50-year-old woman presented with a progressively enlarging right neck mass discovered five years ago. Upon examination, a 3 cm firm, non-tender, and mobile tumor was found in the right neck level II region. Imaging studies suggested a tumor originating from the cervical sympathetic chain. The patient underwent a resection of the tumor under general anesthesia. Postoperative follow-up showed no complications or signs of recurrence. However, contrary to the initial suspicion of a schwannoma, the final pathological examination revealed a lymphoepithelial cyst. In this paper, we present a case of a cervical lymphoepithelial cyst misdiagnosed as a schwannoma, aiming to compare the clinical and histological characteristics of these two tumors and provide insights into appropriate diagnosis and management.

B-mode and Color Doppler Imaging of Different Types of Branchial Cleft Cysts in Children. A Multicenter Study and Review of the Literature.

The term "branchial cleft cyst" refers to the lesions that can be considered synonymous with cervical lymphoepithelial cysts. Although relatively rare, they constitute the second major cause of head and neck pathologies in childhood. This study aimed to report the clinical presentations, diagnosis, and management of pediatric patients with the pathological diagnosis of branchial cleft cyst. This study was a retrospective analysis of the records of 33 patients with the diagnosis of branchial cyst, in two different university hospitals, in two different populations. Thirty-three cases of branchial cleft cysts were seen in 33 patients: 17 females and 16 males. The majority (16 patients) were 2nd branchial cleft cysts. Accurate diagnosis of branchial cleft malformation was made via imaging in 20 of the 21 (95%) patients that underwent preoperative surgical ultrasonographic imaging. Branchial cleft cysts are frequently incorrectly diagnosed and ignored in the differential diagnosis. Thus, the diagnosis is often delayed, resulting in the mismanagement of affected patients. A branchial cyst should be suspected in any patient with a swelling in the lateral aspect of the neck, regardless of whether the swelling is solid or cystic, painful or painless. The use of ultrasonography can dramatically help clinicians with distinguishing branchial cleft cysts from other similar lesions of the head and neck.

A Retrospective Clinico-Pathological Analysis with Review of Literature of Oral and Cervical Lympho-Epithelial Cysts from a Pathological Perspective

Oral and cervical lympho-epthelial cysts (LECs) are uncommon lesions with histopathological similarities. The aim of the study is to present clinico-pathological characteristics of oral and cervical LECs with a review of literature in order to create awareness on this uncommon entity. Eighteen new cases of oral and cervical LECs obtained from the archives of the University of Peradeniya and University of Geneva were used for the clinico-pathological analysis. The average age at diagnosis of 7 oral and 11 cervical LECs were 40 and 36 years, respectively. Both showed a female predilection (male:female ratio at 3:4 and 4:7, respectively). The only difference was found in the size of the lesions with oral LECs being significantly smaller than cervical LECs (0.9 cm vs. 4.6 cm). LECs may clinically resemble neoplasms (4/18), including malignancies (1/11 in the present series). None of the 18 LECs recurred following surgical removal. The literature-review-based analysis of 514 oral LECs confirms that the lesions are observed predominantly in adults in 4th–5th decades of life and are relatively small lesions of less than 2 cm in diameter. Oral LECs were found to occur predominantly in the tongue and floor of the mouth, similar to 88% of lesions in literature. In conclusion, oral and cervical LECs are two histologically similar cysts that occur in two distinct sites. The literature review supports the information observed in our study with respect to age of occurrence, site predilections, and size. Cervical LECs, particularly the ones that occur in the parotid region, may require further investigations to exclude BLEL of parotid gland, which occur in HIV infected patients.

CERVICAL LYMPHOEPITHELIAL CYST: A CASE REPORT

Among the lesions that occur in the head and neck region, nonodontogenic cysts are frequent; among is them the cervical lymphoepithelial cyst, which is predominant in young adults between 20 and 40 years old and has uncertain origin. The case described is of a black female patient, 54 years old, with a main complaint of lump near the neck. Clinical examination found a well-delimited, painless, moving, soft palpable nodule, approximately 5 cm in diameter, located to the right, posterior to the angle of the mandible, below the earlobe. The diagnostic hypothesis was of pleomorphic adenoma. A tomographic examination was requested, which revealed a cystic lesion. The lesion was excised, and the removed tissue was sent for histopathologic examination. The diagnosis was cervical lymphoepithelial cyst. The patient has been followed for 3 months without any signs of relapse.

Branchial cleft cyst - A case report with review of literature

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.

Unusual MRI appearance of a lymphoepithelial cyst in the parotid gland

Lymphoepithelial cysts, which are also known as branchial cleft cysts, commonly occur in the lateral cervical region. Lymphoepithelial cysts arising in the parotid gland are rare and must be distinguished from parotid gland tumors. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful for diagnosing parotid gland lesions, and MR images of lymphoepithelial cysts typically display a cystic mass that appears homogeneously hypointense on T1-weighted images and homogeneously hyperintense on T2-weighted images. However, some parotid gland tumors that retain fluid in their inner sections show similar MRI findings to lymphoepithelial cysts. Furthermore, lymphoepithelial cysts are sometimes modified by inflammation, and these cases are hard to diagnose. We report the case of a 59-year-old female with a lymphoepithelial cyst that arose in the parotid gland. The cyst had been affected by inflammation and displayed atypical imaging findings, i.e., heterogeneous signal intensity of the liquid component and the presence of a well-enhanced capsule-like structure surrounding the liquid component. In addition, we compare the MRI findings of this case with those of two other cervical lymphoepithelial cysts.

Removal of second branchial cleft cysts using a retroauricular approach

Second branchial cleft cysts (also called cervical lymphoepithelial cysts) usually present in adulthood, and cosmesis of surgical access is an important issue. This study was performed to assess the feasibility and outcome of a retroauricular approach for removing second branchial cleft cysts. Eight patients underwent removal of second branchial cleft cysts using a retroauricular approach. All 8 second branchial cleft cysts were removed successfully, and the wounds healed uneventfully. None of the patients suffered from weakness of the great auricular nerve. Marginal nerve palsy did not occur postsurgery. Average follow-up period was 14.5 months (range, 6-20 months) with no tumor recurrence. The incision scars were invisible. Second branchial cleft cyst resection using a retroauricular approach is a feasible method that provides an acceptable cosmetic outcome.

Branchial cleft or cervical lymphoepithelial cysts: Etiology and management

The cervical lymphoepithelial or branchial cleft cyst is a developmental cyst that has a disputed pathogenesis. The objective of this article is to provide a brief review of the literature and to define diagnostic terms related to this anomaly, as well as to describe its etiology, clinical presentation and treatment. The cervical lymphoepithelial or branchial cleft cyst usually presents as a unilateral, soft-tissue fluctuant swelling that typically appears in the lateral aspect of the neck, anterior to the sternocleidomastoid muscle, and becomes clinically evident late in childhood or in early adulthood. Clinicians can diagnose the cyst with appropriate imaging to assess the extent of the lesion before definitive surgical treatment. The authors describe a patient who underwent excision of a well-encapsulated cystic structure that was diagnosed as a branchial cleft cyst. The cervical lymphoepithelial or branchial cleft cyst can be easily misdiagnosed as a parotid swelling or odontogenic infection. It is imperative that clinicians make an accurate diagnosis so that appropriate treatment (that is, surgical excision) can be performed. If the cysts are treated properly, recurrences are rare.

Benign cervical lymphoepithelial cyst: Report of cases

The benign cervical lymphoepithelial cyst (BCLC) is a lesion that occurs in the upper neck and which has an epithelial lining and an outer rim of lymphoid tissue. This cyst is also known as branchial cleft cyst or simply branchial cyst because of the widely accepted notion that it arises from embryologic remnants in the neck of branchial cleft origin. However, the precise embryologic structures involved in the development of this cyst still remain a point of considerable controversy. The term benign cervical lymphoepithelial cyst, therefore, appears to be a more appropriate designation for these lesions, being a purely descriptive term devoid of any developmental connotations. The purpose of this report is to present two cases of BCLC and discuss the controversial aspects of this pathologic entity in view of recent data that offer additional information regarding the origin and biologic behavior of this lesion.

Immunohistochemical and histologic study of cervical lymphoepithelial cysts

Four cases of lateral cervical cysts were reported. All cyst walls were lined with keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, and contained lymph follicles with well-defined germinal centers. Ectopic salivary gland tissue was found in one case. Histochemical examination by the immunoperoxidase method revealed the existence of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). However, alpha-feto protein (AFP) and amylase were not detected in any of the cysts. The cyst fluid contained high levels of CEA and high titers of salivary type amylase, but AFP was negative. These results do not support any one of the theories concerning the etiology of cervical lymphoepithelial cysts. It seems likely that cysts derive from both epithelial remnants of the branchial apparatus and from salivary gland inclusions in lymph nodes.

頚部に発現したリンパ上皮性嚢胞の３例

Three cases of cervical lymphoepithelial cysts were reported. The first case was a 61 year-old female with a tumor in the right lateral cervical region. Ultrasonographic examination revealed a typical cystic pattern. The histopathological diagnosis was lymphoepithelial cyst (so called branchial cyst) and it was in accordance with the clinical diagnosis. The second case, a 53 year-old female, had a large mass from the left parotid region to the lateral cervical region. Preoperative ultrasonographic examination revealed the co-existence of a solid and cystic pattern. Clinical diagnosis was a parotid tumor. Histologic examination of the extirpated specimen revealed that the cystic region was a lymphoepithelial cyst and the solid region was a foreign body granuloma. The third case was a 55 year-old female who had a tumor at the right submandibular region. From the results of ultrasonographic and CT examinations a cyst was suggested. But the sialogram of the submandibular gland and the site of the lesion suggested a tumor. The pathological diagnosis was a lymphoepithelial cyst. Ultrasonograms accurately showed the inner nature of the lesions in all cases.