title: Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants--report of 17 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants are congenital, benign and rare neck masses. These anomalies are limited in the literature, reported mostly as case reports. Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnant is always present at birth, and the lesion is usually unilateral. Understanding and treatment of cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants requires knowledge of the related embryology.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2005 to December 2008, 17 patients with mean age of 32 months (range from 2 months to 15 years) with CCBRs were treated at the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Burns at the Institute for Mother and Child Health Care, Belgrade, Serbia. The following objections were recorded: sex, lesion side, surgical data, associated malformations and pathohistology findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 7 females and 10 males, 4 with bilateral presences. Five children had associated anomalies, as follows: vesicoureteral reflux, atrial and ventricular septal defect, ventricular septal defect, branchiootorenal syndrome and preauricular sinus. There was a positive family history in one patient. Fifteen patients (88%) were treated with complete surgical excision and no connections with deep underlying structures of the neck were found. There were no complications at surgery. No recurrence was found during follow-up. Histopathology analysis revealed both, hyaline and elastic cartilage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants are rare anomalies arising from branchial arch, probably originally from remnants of first or second arch. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice. From our experience, we suggest surgical treatment early in childhood because of esthetic reason, simplicity of the intervention and low complication rate. Also, the abdominal ultrasound and cardiac examination is recommended because of associated anomalies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Institute for Mother and Child Health Care of Serbia, Radoja Dakica 6-8, 11070 New Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: ninobego@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ninoslav
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Begovic
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Institute for Mother and Child Health Care of Serbia, Radoja Dakica 6-8, 11070 New Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: simicradoje@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Radoje
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simic
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Institute for Mother and Child Health Care of Serbia, Radoja Dakica 6-8, 11070 New Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: aleksandarvlahovic@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Aleksandar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vlahovic
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Institute for Mother and Child Health Care of Serbia, Radoja Dakica 6-8, 11070 New Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: djordje.kravljanac@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Djordje
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kravljanac
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Institute for Mother and Child Health Care of Serbia, Radoja Dakica 6-8, 11070 New Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: slavisa.djuricic@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Slavisa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Djuricic
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Institute for Mother and Child Health Care of Serbia, Radoja Dakica 6-8, 11070 New Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: tanja.sav@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mijovic
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple; D000293:Adolescent; D001934:Branchial Region / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D002356:Cartilage / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012868:Skin Abnormalities / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Branchial; Cervical; Remnant; Skin tag; Tragus