Thyroglossal Duct Cyst in a Tertiary Hospital in Kaduna: A Retrospective Review

Thyroglossal duct cyst (TGDC) is the most common congenital midline abnormality in the Head and Neck region, commonly presents as, a painless slowly progressive midline swelling, which moves with deglutition, and tongue protrusion. The aim of the study is to assess the clinical presentation and treatment of TGDC at a tertiary hospital in Kaduna, North-Western Nigeria.

It was a retrospective descriptive study; medical records of patients diagnosed with TGDC from January 2013 to September 2025 were reviewed. Data were collected from medical records, with variables including demographics, clinical presentation, investigations, and treatment outcomes. Categorical variables were presented in frequency tables and percentages, continuous variables were presented in mean and standard deviation, the relationship of variables was analysed using Chi-square and Fisher's exact test, level of significance was set at p value <0.05.

Forty-six patients (74.2%) had complete records and were reviewed. Their ages ranged from 1-54 years (mean 15.0 ± 14.5 years), with males accounting for 54.3%. Most patients (80.4%) presented within five years of symptom onset, predominantly with neck masses (97.8%), while 8.7% had discharging sinuses. Central (69.6%) and infrahyoid (63.0%) lesions were most common. Twelve patients had infected cysts, with three requiring incision and drainage. Half underwent Sistrunk's procedure, while the remainder defaulted. Five patients developed complications, but no recurrence occurred. FNAC was significantly associated with undergoing Sistrunk's procedure (p = 0.008), unlike age or gender.

The Sistrunk procedure provided a good outcome with minimal complications among those treated. However, there is significant patient default that needs further investigation in order to gain insight into the reasons.