Carcinoma arising in a branchial cleft cyst

Area of Science:

• Head and Neck Surgery
• Oncology
• Pathology

Background:

• Lateral cervical cysts, often present for decades, are typically benign.
• Malignant transformation within these cysts is exceedingly rare.
• Branchiogenic carcinoma arises from developmental remnants in the branchial arches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a rare case of invasive squamous cell carcinoma arising in a lateral cervical cyst.
• To review and compare this case with previously reported instances of branchiogenic carcinoma.
• To highlight diagnostic criteria for this rare malignancy.

Main Methods:

• Case presentation of a patient with a lateral cervical cyst.
• Surgical management with radical neck dissection.
• Histopathological examination of the cyst and lymph nodes.
• Literature review of branchiogenic carcinoma cases from the last 25 years.

Main Results:

• Invasive squamous cell carcinoma was confirmed within the epithelial lining of a lateral cervical cyst.
• Metastasis was identified in one cervical lymph node.
• Only three other cases met the diagnostic criteria for branchiogenic carcinoma in the reviewed literature.

Conclusions:

• Malignant transformation of lateral cervical cysts into squamous cell carcinoma is a rare event.
• Radical neck dissection is a crucial treatment modality.
• Accurate diagnosis requires adherence to established criteria, with few comparable cases reported.