Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Associated with Xanthogranulomatous Inflammation
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Published on: October 13, 2023
Orhun Cig Taskin1, Hasan Gucer1,2, Daniel Winer1,2
1Department of Pathology, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street, 11th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada.
Abstract:
Xanthogranulomatous inflammation (XGI) is an uncommon destructive chronic inflammatory process mainly occurring in the kidney and gallbladder, characterized by the accumulation of foamy histiocytes, multinucleated giant cells (Touton type), cholesterol clefts and chronic inflammatory cells. The head and neck region is an uncommon site for XGI. This type of inflammatory reaction has been defined in branchial cleft cyst, salivary gland tumors following fine-needle aspiration biopsies, Rathke's cleft cyst in the pituitary gland, and colloid cyst in the 3rd ventricle. We present herein a unique case of ruptured thyroglossal duct cyst leading to XGI, characterized by an infiltrative subcutaneous central neck lesion, clinically mimicking a thyroid carcinoma. In addition, we also summarize current insights into the pathogenesis of XGI in the head and neck region.
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