A Cases of Primary Branchial Cleft Cyst Carcinoma / 대한이비인후과학회지

The hypothesis that primary branchiogenic carcinoma originates from a branchial cleft cyst is controversial since the entity was first described in 1882. In 1950, stringent criteria were established for the diagnosis of primary branchiogenic carcinoma, the most important criterion being histologic proof of carcinoma arising from a normal cyst epithelium. Only a limited number of cases have successfully fulfilled these criteria. In this article, we describe a case of squamous cell carcinoma arising in the second branchial cleft cyst and also discuss the diagnosis, histopathologic features, and therapeutic options.