Case ReportInternational Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery

Publication:
Thymopharyngeal cyst in an adult: a case report

Int J Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2025;11(5):588-590.DOI10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20252992

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Abstract

A rare case of a thymopharyngeal cyst is identified in a young woman from Rwanda, who presented with a centrally located neck mass. Thymopharyngeal cysts, remnants of embryological thymic tissue, are infrequent findings especially in adults, and their diagnosis requires high clinical suspicion. We review the clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, surgical management, and discuss the literature on this rare entity. Our case report emphasizes the importance of including thymopharyngeal cysts in the differential diagnosis of central neck masses.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
  2. Department of Otolaryngology, University Teaching Hospital of Butare, Butare, Rwanda
  3. Department of Otolaryngology, University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda
  4. Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Mass Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, University Teaching Hospital of Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda

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