Surgical management of a midline submental neck mass in Zimbabwe: A case report

Differential diagnoses of a pediatric neck mass are extensive, ranging across benign, malignant, congenital and infectious causes. Limited access to imaging in low-resource settings increases the complexity of narrowing this list to appropriately diagnose and treat neck masses. This occasionally allows neck masses to grow unchecked, increasing the morbidity of their presence and eventual excision. The goal of this report is to describe nuances in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric neck masses in resource-limited settings through a case report of a neck mass in a pediatric patient.

A 10-year-old girl in Harare, Zimbabwe, presented for surgical management of a midline neck mass that appeared 4 years prior to presentation for definitive treatment. A myriad of barriers delayed her care, allowing the mass to grow into her floor of mouth, displacing her tongue and leading to speech and feeding difficulties.

At presentation to the tertiary care facility, she received a pre-operative ultrasound showing a well-circumscribed, echogenic mass. Her neck mass was surgically excised through a transoral approach. Permanent pathology was consistent with a dermoid cyst.

At 1-month postoperative follow-up, the patient had experienced no complications and had a complete resolution of her functional symptoms and appearance.

We present a case that can illuminate the utility of ultrasound in the diagnosis of pediatric neck masses. Additionally, we facilitate an important discussion on transoral versus transcervical approach for midline neck masses with the decision hinging on size, location, surgeon preference and comfort and consideration of cosmesis.