Lateral Presentation of a Pediatric Thyroglossal Duct Cyst in a Resource-Limited Setting: A Case Report

Thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDCs) typically present as midline neck masses in pediatric patients but may rarely present laterally, complicating diagnosis. We report a five-year-old male child with a right-sided lateral neck mass evaluated at a rural district hospital in Chad, where bedside ultrasound demonstrated a complex cystic lesion, and additional imaging was not available. The patient underwent surgical excision with a Sistrunk procedure, and histopathology confirmed an inflamed TGDC. This case highlights the importance of considering TGDC in the differential diagnosis of pediatric lateral neck masses and demonstrates that, in resource-limited settings, clinical assessment and ultrasound may provide sufficient information to support surgical decision-making in select cases.