Anatomic location and variety of nonmalignant neck masses seen in surgical practice

During a 10-year interval, 189 patients, comprised of 121 females and 68 males ranging in age from 1 to 98 years, were surgically treated for nonmalignant neck masses. Nonmalignant neck masses were located in the thyroid or submaxillary gland in 60 per cent of these patients. Thyroid adenoma, reactive cervical nodes, and mixed tumor of the submaxillary salivary glands represented the three most commonly occurring nonmalignant pathologic conditions in this series. When stratified by age and sex, thyroid abnormalities, specifically thyroid adenoma, occurred most often in females of all ages. In males, reactive nodes were usually seen before 40 years of age; thereafter, tumors of the submaxillary salivary gland predominated. Most studies of nonmalignant neck masses indicate that reactive nodes are the most common condition in patients of all ages. Thyroid conditions were seen most frequently in this group of patients. The probable explanation is a tertiary referral pattern to surgeons. Patients with nonsurgical conditions were, presumably, identified and managed earlier and not referred further, and therefore did not appear in this group of patients.