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Stephanie Ho; Dennis Lee, MD, MPH; Charles Bluestone, MD
Pittsburgh, Pa

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2000;126:793-797.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

AN 11-MONTH-OLD boy had recurrent episodes of left facial swelling with upper respiratory infections. A pit was noted over the parotid region at birth. These episodes of swelling responded to oral antibiotic therapy. The patient presented for evaluation of a persistent slight swelling of the left parotid gland. Three months before evaluation, an abscess had formed under the pit, requiring incision and drainage with a prolonged course of oral antibiotics. Figure 1 and Figure 2 are axial computed tomographic scans of the parotid gland. Figure 3 is an intraoperative view of the region, with the arrow indicating the facial nerve.

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

What is your diagnosis?

Diagnosis: First branchial cleft cyst (FBCC)

Branchial cleft anomalies are caused by incomplete regression of the cervical sinus of His during the sixth and seventh weeks of embryological development. First branchial cleft anomalies often appear as cysts . . . [Full Text of this Article]