Cervical Castleman disease in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Vascular Surgery
• Head and Neck Pathology

Background:

• Castleman disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder with unknown etiology.
• The hyaline vascular subtype is the most common variant, typically affecting the mediastinum.
• Cervical involvement, particularly in pediatric patients, is exceptionally rare.

Observation:

• A 6-year-old child presented with a cervical mass.
• Computed tomography and magnetic resonance angiography revealed a mass compressing the right common carotid artery bifurcation.
• Intraoperative findings included four masses tightly adherent to the carotid artery and jugular vein.

Findings:

• Surgical excision of the cervical Castleman disease was performed using blunt dissection.
• Histopathological analysis confirmed the hyaline vascular subtype.
• No signs of recurrence were observed at the 6-month postoperative follow-up.

Implications:

• This case highlights the importance of considering rare diagnoses like Castleman disease in pediatric cervical masses.
• Successful surgical management can be achieved even with vascular encasement.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term prognosis and optimal treatment strategies for pediatric cervical Castleman disease.