Thyroglossal duct cyst: case series.

OBJECTIVE: Thyroglossal duct cysts are remnants of the embryonic thyroglossal duct that may occur anywhere from the base of the tongue to the thyroid gland. The majority, however, are found at the level of the thyrohyoid membrane, under the deep cervical fascia. They are midline or just off the midline, and move up and down upon swallowing. This paper presents five case reports of TDC seen in the Department of Ear-Nose-Throat Surgery Regional Hospital Of Chania, Crete, Greece. It also discusses the different diagnostic approaches and differential diagnoses of the lesion. STUDY DESIGN: The medical records of patients admitted from 1995-2006 were reviewed for patients treated for TDC. History and examination reports were studied. When possible, results and reports of special investigations were obtained and the investigations were re-evaluated. Surgical operation notes and histology reports were obtained and the histologic slides were re-examined as necessary. RESULTS: Five cases of thyroglossal duct cyst treated in our department are described with each having a different clinical picture. CONCLUSIONS: Although the clinical and histological presentations of these five cases are not rare, they do illustrate how varied thyroglossal duct cysts can be with respect to patient age, anatomic site, or associated signs and symptoms.