Neck epidermoid cyst mimicking tuberculosis at ultrasound: Case report and review of literature

Neck masses in children can be inflammatory, congenital or neoplastic. When a congenital cyst becomes infected repeatedly, it may mimic inflammatory disease and the diagnosis may be challenging with ultrasound. An increasing incidence of infection with non-tuberculous mycobacterial organisms...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jacopo Cambi, Giovanni Monciatti, Luca Pelliccia, Maria Carla Spinosi, Leopoldo Brindisi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hacettepe University Institute of Child Health 2016-02-01
Series:The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
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Online Access:https://turkjpediatr.org/article/view/1075
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Summary:Neck masses in children can be inflammatory, congenital or neoplastic. When a congenital cyst becomes infected repeatedly, it may mimic inflammatory disease and the diagnosis may be challenging with ultrasound. An increasing incidence of infection with non-tuberculous mycobacterial organisms has been observed in recent decades in children with cervical lymphadenopathy. An ultrasound scan performed during the infectious phase of a mass can be misleading and can lead to an incorrect diagnostic hypothesis with the risk of erroneous medical and surgical therapies. We describe a case of a lateral neck epidermoid cyst mimicking and misdiagnosed as a tuberculous lymphadenopathy at ultrasound scan and treated with primary surgical excision. After surgery, a histological diagnosis of an epidermal cyst was made. There were no signs of recurrence during the 12-month follow-up period. A review of the literature and a proposed practice pathway for lateral cervical lymphadenopathy in children is also reported.
ISSN:0041-4301
2791-6421