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Ectopic Cervical Thymus
An Uncommon Diagnosis in the Evaluation of Pediatric Neck Masses
LCDR Kirby J. Scott, MC, USN;
LCDR Ashley A. Schroeder, MC, USNR;
John H. Greinwald, Jr, MD
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2002;128:714-717.
Ectopic cervical thymic tissue is an uncommon cause of neck masses in
children, with fewer than 100 cases reported in children who presented with
primary neck masses. To illustrate the unique characteristics of these tumors,
we report the case of a 13-month-old boy with ectopic thymic tissue presenting
with asymptomatic, bilateral, and solid cervical masses. This case report
highlights several unique findings: (1) the rare nature of solid thymic tumors
compared with cystic lesions, (2) the utility of magnetic resonance imaging
scanning with and without fat suppression for diagnosis, and (3) the risks
of surgical removal of thymic tissue in children. Despite its infrequent occurrence
and often asymptomatic presentation, ectopic cervical thymus masses should
be included as a rare cause of cervical masses in the pediatric population.
Awareness of this diagnosis will allow for appropriate preoperative diagnostic
studies, which may preclude the need for biopsy.
From the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery,
Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Va (Drs Scott and Schroeder), and the Department
of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Children's Hospital Medical
Center, Cincinnati, Ohio (Dr Greinwald).
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