Bilateral branchial arch anomaly: a rare case report

Anomalies of branchial arches are uncommon anomalies of embryonic development and may present as cysts, sinus tracts, fistulae or cartilaginous remnants. They represent the embryological precursors of face, neck and pharynx and are the second most common congenital lesions of head and neck in children. Although pharyngeal apparatus (branchial) anomalies are frequently seen, bilateral cases are rare (only 2% to 3%). Our patient was a 3 months old child with a swelling on right side of neck and discharging sinus from left side since birth. Surgical excision of the right branchial cyst with its complete tract was done along with excision of the left branchial fistulous tract upto the tonsillar fossa. Post-operative course was uneventful and patient was discharged the next day.

Anomalías congénitas del aparato branquial: estudio de imágenes / Congenital anomalies of the branchial apparatus: imaging study

: The branchial apparatus consists of six arches that are separated from each other by branchial clefts and pharyngeal pouches. Its development is complex and multiple congenital defects can occur; including branchial cleft cysts, sinuses and fistulas, thymic cysts, aberrant thymic tissue and parathyroid cysts. The majority arises from the second branchial arch and they correspond to vestigial remnants from incomplete obliteration of the branchial apparatus or buried epithelial cell rests. Imaging studies are very helpful in the diagnosis and characterization of these anomalies, and require a good understanding of the embryogenesis. Considering the anatomical location and the radiological appearance the diagnosis could be precised in most cases. The purpose of this presentation is to show the appearance of some of the most frequent congenital anomalies of the branchial apparatus using different imaging modalities and emphasizing the normal embryologic development.

El aparato branquial, formado por seis arcos separados por hendiduras extemas y bolsas faríngeas en su parte interna, tiene un complejo desarrollo del cual pueden derivar anomalías como senos, fístulas o quistes y alteraciones del timo o glándula paratiroi-des. La mayoría de las malformaciones derivan del segundo componente branquial. Los estudios de imagen son útiles para el diagnóstico y caracterización de estas lesiones que será más exacta con un adecuado conocimiento del desarrollo embriológico. El objetivo de esta presentación es revisar la embriología y el aspecto más común en imágenes de algunas de estas anomalías.

Chondrocutaneous Branchial Remnant in Cervical Region: A Case Report

Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants are rare and one of several maformations resulting from abnormal development of the branchial apparatus. These lesions are usually located over or near the insertions of the sternocleidomastoid muscles in the lower neck. It is important to recognize that they may be a visible marker for other malformations and/or anomalies. Treatment is complete surgical removal as promptly as possible in order to get an exact histopathological diagnosis. In this article, we report a rare case of cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants and some reviews of the literature.

The development of the branchial apparatus in rabbit embryo.

Serial sections of 4-5 mm. rabbit embryos were carefully studied in relation to the serial sections 10 mm pig embryos under a low-power microscope to compare the development of the branchial apparatus. Three pairs of the branchial arches can be clearly identified in 4-5 mm rabbit embryos. The first two are more prominent than the others. The aortic sac or the ventral aorta, the continuation of the truncus arteriosus, is located between the right and left hyoid arches. The thyroid diverticulum passess the aortic sac to attain its final position at the more caudal region. Each aortic arch branches from the aortic sac and passes through the mesenchyme of each branchial arch to join the dorsal aorta. The branchial apparatus of the 4-5 mm rabbit embryos is very similar to that of the 10 mm pig embryos. Since rabbit embryos are very to obtain for slide preparation, there is no significant problem in using rabbit embryos to study the development of the branchial apparatus instead of pig embryos.

Development of the branchial apparatus in rat, pig and chick embryos.

Serial sections of 4-6 mm rat embryos were carefully studied in relation to the serial sections of 36-somite chick embryos and 10 mm pig embryos under a low-power microscope to compare the development of their branchial apparatus. Four pairs of the branchial arch could be clearly identified in the 4 mm rat embryos, the first two being more prominent than the others. The aortic sac or the ventral aorta, the continuation of the truncus arteriosus, is located between the right and left hyoid arches. The thyroid diverticulum passes the aortic sac to attain its final position at the caudal region. Each aortic arch branches from the aortic sac and passes through the mesenchyme of each branchial arch to join the dorsl aorta. The branchial apparatus of the 4-5 mm rat embryos is highly similar to that of the 36-somite chick embryos and 10 mm pig embryos. Since the rat embryos are very easy to obtain for slide preparation, there is no significant problem in the use of rat embryos to study the development of the branchial apparatus instead of the pig embryo.