Degenerative Thyroid Cartilage Cysts as a Cause of Hoarseness

Cysts located in the thyroid cartilage proper are rare. A literature review identified only 4 cases. 1-4 Three of the cysts were lined by respiratory epithelium 2-4 and were thought tobetheresultofmucosalherniationthroughacongenitalforamen.BurgessandYim 1 reported a case of a true degenerative thyroid cartilage cyst. We describe 2 patients withdegenerativethyroidcartilagecystswhopresentedwithhoarsenessandahistoryofnecktrauma. In both cases, findings of an endoscopic biopsy were consistent with benign degenerative cartilage. We compare our surgical management in these cases—an open neck exploration with extirpation of the cyst in the first case, and an endoscopic marsupialization of the cyst in the second case—and discuss why we would favor the latter approach in a future case. We also briefly discuss the potential pathogenesis of these degenerative cysts.