A case of thyroglossal duct cyst of the anterior part of the dorsum of the tongue

Thyroglossal duct cyst is the most common nonodontogenic cyst in the neck and is thought to originate from the epithelial remnants of the thyroglossal duct. Thyroglossal duct cyst rarely arises in the dorsum of the tongue. We present a rare case occurring in the anterior part of the dorsum of the tongue. The patient, a 46-year-old woman, was referred to our department because of swelling and pain of the tongue. The mass of the tongue was elastic soft and purplish red with a clearly demarcated border. It measured 31×34mm. A cystic lesion was suspected on ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging.The lesion was enucleated for a clinical diagnosis of a cyst of the tongue. The definitive diagnosis was thyroglossal duct cyst. There has been no evidence of recurrence as of 1 year 10 months after the operation, and function of the tongue is normal.