What this deck covers
Congenital Neck Masses in ten clinical teaching cases with worked explanations. Each case gives you a clinical vignette, four options, the correct answer, and an explanation of why each of the other three is wrong.
Diagnoses and management options tested
Across the ten cases you are asked to choose between options such as: Dermoid cyst, Thyroglossal duct cyst, Second branchial cleft cyst, Ectopic thyroid, First branchial cleft cyst, Cystic hygroma, Cat scratch disease, Magnetic resonance imaging of the neck, Ultrasound of the neck, Thyroid uptake scan, Fibromatosis coli, Third branchial cleft cyst, Lymphatic malformation, also known as cystic hygroma, Branchial cleft cyst, Simple excision of the cyst only, Incision and drainage of the cyst, Malignant transformation, Secondary infection, Spontaneous rupture, Hemorrhage into the cyst, Lingual thyroid, Vallecular cyst, Venous malformation.
Clinical pearls from this deck
- A midline mass near the hyoid that moves UP with tongue protrusion/swallowing = thyroglossal duct cyst — the commonest congenital neck mass (~70%). It is a remnant of the thyroglossal duct (foramen cecum → pretracheal thyroid), stays tethered to the hyoid/tongue base, and often first appears or enlarges after a URI.
- Two features separate a dermoid from a thyroglossal duct cyst: it does NOT move with tongue protrusion and it feels doughy. Dermoids are inclusion cysts with ectodermal + mesodermal elements (hair, sebaceous material) — hence the doughy feel — sitting superficial to the strap muscles with no hyoid/tongue attachment. Treat by simple excision.
The ten worked cases in this deck, with the images and the full explanation of every option, are part of Pediatric Case Review membership. See what is included.
More from this system: all ent decks and question sets · pediatric reference values.
