Congenital midline cervical cleft: a report of 3 cases.
Congenital midline cervical cleft is a rare anomaly of the anterior neck. The diagnosis is typically made on the basis of the lesion's characteristic clinical presentation at birth. It appears to occur as a result of a failure of fusion of the paired second branchial arches in the midline during embryogenesis. Surgical intervention is necessary to avoid potential long-term complications, such as contractures and limitation of neck mobility. We present 3 cases of congenital midline cervical cleft, and we discuss the embryology, presentation, and surgical management of this unusual condition.
Department of Otolaryngology, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA 17822-1333, USA.
Ronald M
RM
Smith
Patrick C
PC
Barth
Jasper
J
Castillo
Brad
B
Millman
W Edward
WE
Wood
D001934:Branchial Region / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000196:embryology / Q000601:surgery; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome