Objective
The objective of this study was to determine the clinical presentations and management
of thyroglossal duct cyst (TDC or thyroglossal tract remnant [TTR]) between children
and adults and evaluate risk factors associated with recurrence after surgery for
TDCs.
Study design
A retrospective study of all patients with TDCs managed in our department from January
1998 through April 2008 was performed. All records were reviewed for age and sex,
sizes and locations of cysts, diagnostic methods, surgical management, recurrences,
and complications. Differences between children and adults and risk factors associated
with recurrence were evaluated.
Results
A total of 106 patients (47 children and 59 adults) were treated for TDC. Of the children,
57.4% were male and 42.6% were female, whereas 50.8% of the adults were male and 49.2%
were female. There were no significant differences in sex in either group (P > .49). The average age was 7.0 ± 4.2 years in children and 36.0 ± 18.0 years in
adults, which demonstrates a bimodal distribution. Adults were significantly more
likely than children to present with a complaint other than mass or infection (P < .01), including pain, dysphagia, dysphonia, and fistula formation. There was no
significant difference in frequency of location between the adults and children. In
this article, 94.9% (56/59) of the adults and 87.2% (41/47) of the children underwent
a Sistrunk operation, whereas the others underwent cyst excision. There were 2 recurrences
among adults and 3 among children, all of whom presented with an infected neck mass
and were treated with a second Sistrunk procedure. The recurrence rates and complications
between children and adults were not significantly different.
Conclusions
The incidence of TDC was equal in males and females and had a bimodal distribution
with similar incidence in children and adults. Adults were significantly more likely
than children to present with a complaint other than mass or infection. The Sistrunk
procedure is recommended as the main choice of treatment. Cyst infection may have
a role in recurrence.
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
October 28,
2010
Received in revised form:
October 8,
2010
Received:
July 10,
2010
Footnotes
This study was supported by Xi'an Science and Technology Program (SF09030(4); SF1023(5)), Science and Technology Program in Shaanxi Province of China (2009K17-03) and Innovation grant of College of Medicine, and funds of Xi'an Jiaotong University (xjj20100216).
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Published by Elsevier Inc.
