The aim of this
work was to analize retrospectively the clinical features of 32
patients aged 23.9 years (21
female) with histological
diagnosis of second
branchial cleft cyst. In 28
patients, the
cyst was localized below the mandibular angle. The presenting symptom was a cervical
tumor in 30
patients and
pain in eight. Fourteen aspiration
punctures was performed obtaining 8 purulent and 6 straw colored aspirates. The preoperative
diagnosis was correctly made in only 19
patients; the principal confounding
diagnosis was tuberculous
adenitis. All
patients were operated performing a complete
cystectomy in 30 and
partial cystectomy in 2. Three
patients had a
surgical wound infection and the
cyst recurred 5 months and 4 years after operation in the 2
patients subjected to
partial cystectomy. The histological study revealed squamous epithelial with underlying
lymphoid tissue. It is concluded that aspiration
puncture is useful for the correct
diagnosis and that the
cyst must be completely erradicated to avoid
recurrences