Congenital midline cervical cleft: a case report

ABSTRACT

A 4 months old baby girl was brought with the history of mucoid discharge from small midline defect on the ventral aspect of neck since birth. She had no other associated congenital defect. Family history of facial deformity such as cleft lip or palate or of thyroid disease was negative. On examination the lesion consisted of a cephalad skin tag, a mucosal surface and a caudal sinus in the midline of ventral neck between the chin and suprasternal notch. It was approximately 3 cm long and 1 cm wide. Sinogram of the lesion showed a blind tract going behind sternum. The patient was treated surgically and the cleft with its underlying fibrous cord that was attached with sternum excised. The vertical wound was closed with multiple Z plasties. On histological examination the cleft was partly lined by keratinized stratified epithelium with sebaceous gland and partly by non- keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. Underlying the epithelium were small collection of seromucous salivary glands. Surrounding tissue was densely fibrocollagenous and richly supplied with blood vessels. The post- operative course was uneventful. Patient is on follow up