title: Congenital torticollis: evaluation by fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
abstract: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy, used extensively for evaluating head and neck masses in adults, also provides an excellent minimally invasive means of evaluating infants with neck masses and torticollis. Three cases of torticollis involving infants are presented. In each case, fine-needle aspiration revealed a benign fibrous lesion, ruling out malignancy. The remaining cytologic differential diagnosis between infantile fibromatosis, fibromatosis colli, and calcifying aponeurotic fibrosis is discussed, with mention of the possible causes of and treatment for congenital torticollis. We conclude that fine-needle aspiration provides a fast and accurate diagnosis of neck masses in infants who have congenital torticollis, thereby avoiding surgical procedures in this very young age group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Ljung
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guerry
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Schoenrock
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000473:pathology*; D014103:Torticollis / Q000151:congenital* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology