| An 11-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital complaining of odorous discharge from an opening in the
anterior region of the left side of his neck. During physical examinations, we understood that his cyst moved with
deglutition and protrusion of the tongue. In order to get a correct diagnosis of the patient problem, fistulography
with contrast agent meglumine was done from the patient neck in two projections, anterior-posterior and
anterior-posterior-oblique. By information obtained of physical examinations and his neck radiographs, thyroglossal
duct cyst coexisting with a fistulous tract was diagnosed. In adolescents and adults, thyroglossal duct
cyst is one the most common causes of midline congenital cyst formation in the neck that may appear anywhere
between the base of the tongue and the suprasternal region. Thyroglossal duct cyst develops from a persistence
of any portion of the thyroglossal tract in the embryonic period. After birthday, infection of cyst can sometimes
lead to fistula formation in the neck. Both of them, thyroglossal duct cyst and thyroglossal fistula, are usually
diagnosed by imaging techniques. |