Thyroglossal duct cyst is the most common developmental anomaly of the
thyroid gland, presenting as a mid line
neck swelling.
Malignancy arising in them is a rare event, with
papillary thyroid carcinoma being the commonest.
Thyroglossal duct cyst carcinomas are usually asymptomatic and are not suspected preoperatively in most instances, hence the need for surgical excision and careful pathological examination of these
cysts. We present a case of a 57 year old lady
who underwent a Sistrunk
procedure for the removal of
thyroglossal duct cyst, which was responsible for a progressive mid line
neck swelling of 2 months duration. The
thyroid gland was normal. Histological examination of the excised
cyst showed a
papillary thyroid carcinoma arising in the
thyroglossal duct cyst. Long term
survival of
patients with
thyroglossal duct cyst carcinoma is excellent.