Abstract

Branchial cleft cysts are the most common form of the lateral neck cysts. Branchial cleft cysts are rarely associated with oral, nasal cavity, pharynx, and metastatic malignant tumors of the thyroid gland. Lymphatic metastases of papillary thyroid carcinomas are frequent. Sometimes metastatic lymph nodes may become palpable before the primary tumor becomes clinically evident. Even though it is rare cystic metastases in the lymph nodes of neck may occur and papillary thyroid cancer may develop as a lateral neck cyst mimicking branchial cyst. Cystic papillary carcinoma lymph node metastasis should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis in patients suspected branchial cleft cyst in the initial diagnosis clinically.
In this study, we present a case of metastatic papillary carcinoma of the thyroid which is considered as branchial cleft cyst in the preoperative diagnosis and emerged as lateral neck cyst.