title: Nasopharyngeal branchial cleft cyst.
abstract: Second branchial cleft cysts are almost always located in the neck; thus, their presence in the nasopharynx is extremely rare. A 44-year-old man was referred to our department because a cystic mass was fortuitously found in the right lateral nasopharyngeal wall during transnasal esophagogastroscopy. He had suffered from intermittent right-sided nasal obstruction since childhood. T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging revealed hyperintense signals. Marsupialization was performed by diode laser via an endoscopy-guided approach. No immediate postoperative complications occurred, and there was no recurrence 6 months following surgery. When a cystic lesion presents in the lateral nasopharynx, branchial cleft cyst should be considered in the differential diagnosis. In our experience, marsupialization by diode laser via an endoscopy approach is a safe and straightforward method of treating nasopharyngeal branchial cleft cyst, with no adverse effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Po-Shao
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yu-Chieh
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yaoh-Shiang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001935:Branchioma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery