Cervical thymic anomalies

Because of its infrequent occurrence, cervical thymic tissue is rarely considered in the differential diagnosis of neck masses. Consequently, diagnosis is most often made by pathologic examination of the excised specimen. The preponderance of reported patients have been children and adolescents, typically asymptomatic. The clinical presentation, evaluation and surgical management of five new cases of cervical thymic anomalies ranging from infancy to adulthood are described. The authors also review the embryology and histopathology of these lesions and discuss their recommended approach to the evaluation and management of cervical thymic anomalies.