Cutaneous bronchogenic cyst of the abdominal wall

We report a case of the unusual location of a cutaneous bronchogenic cyst on the abdominal wall. The patient was a 9-month-old boy who had presented with a 1.5 cm-sized polypoid mass, present since birth. Pathological examination of the excised mass revealed multiple small cystic structures surrounded by the fibroadipose tissue. The lining epithelium consisted of either pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet cells or a single layer of ciliated or non-ciliated cuboidal to columnar cells. The cystic walls contained a well-developed smooth muscle bundle, mucous glands and hyaline cartilage plate. This lesion was adherent to the peritoneum, but there was no direct communication with the abdominal cavity. Cutaneous bronchogenic cyst located in the abdominal wall has not been described in the English literature. The present case suggests a possible origin from a downward migration, from the sequestered bud of a tracheobronchial tree primordium along the midline of the body surface, during embryonic development.