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.