Shabbir Akhtar, Mubasher Ikram, Shehzad Ghaffar.
Thyroglossal duct cysts: what is the optimum management?.
Pak J Otolaryngol Jan ;24(2):3-5.

OBJECTIVE: Thyroglossal duct cysts are the commonest midline neck masses seen in otolaryngologic and pediatric surgery practice. Unfortunately, if not treated properly it recurs. Management of thyroglossal duct cysts at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi was reviewed with emphasis on preoperative workup. DESIGN: It is an observational study. PLACE & DURATION OF STUDY: Study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Patients managed from January 1985 to December 2006 were included. PATIENTS & METHODS: 30 patients who were managed in the service of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery were included. Clinical charts of all patients were reviewed and radiological & pathological results were analyzed. RESULTS: Average age of patients was 17 years (range 3 to 53 years). Six patients had been previously operated upon, all had simple excision of cyst without hyoid bone removal. Cervical ultrasound was performed in 20 patients preoperatively and fine needle aspiration biopsy was done in 15 pa tients. All patients were managed surgically and body of hyoid bone was excised in all patients. In 29 patients histopathology was benign and in 1 patient features of papillary carcinoma was seen. Mean follow up in our patients was for 34 months with no recurrence. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of thyroglossal duct cyst is clinical. Ultrasound helps to comment on location of thyroid gland. Routine use of fine needle aspiration biopsy is not required. Excision of cyst along with body of hyoid bone (Sistrunk`s procedure) gives good results with low rate of recurrence.

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