title: [A case of malignant amygdaloid cyst].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An amygdaloid cyst is a rare high laterocervical cystic tumor arising from the second branchial cleft. It accounts for 2% of laterocervical tumors and up to 85% of second branchial cleft abnormalities [1]. The incidence of intracystic squamous cell carcinoma ranges from 4 to 22% [2]. The diagnosis of primary carcinoma or intracystic metastasis is a controversial issue. We report a rare case of degenerate amygdaloid cyst meeting the diagnostic criteria for intracystic squamous cell carcinoma determined by Martin and Khafif.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 73-year-old female patient consulted for a left cervical swelling in 2010; the diagnosis was an amygdaloid cyst. She had a history of squamous cell carcinoma of the hard palate (T1NoMo) surgery and radiation therapy in 2009, without recurrence. Three years later, the swelling increased to a large size without any cervical node involvement. An exploratory cervicotomy with histological study revealed intracystic squamous cell degeneration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary squamous cell carcinoma location in the wall of an amygdaloid cyst is extremely rare and a highly controversial issue. The challenge is to be able to discriminate between a cystic metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma of the aerodigestive tract and a primary squamous cell carcinoma located in the wall of an amygdaloid cyst. Martin and Khafif defined specific criteria to confirm the diagnosis of primary branchiogenic carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Service de chirurgie maxillo-faciale, faculté de médecine, Constantine 3, CHU Benbadis, BP 25000, Constantine, Algérie. Electronic address: safia.abdennour@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdennour
authors.affiliation: Service d'histologie embryologie et génétique, faculté de médecine, université Constantine 3, CHU Benbadis, BP 25000, Constantine, Algérie.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Allag
authors.affiliation: Service de chirurgie maxillo-faciale, Rabat, Maroc.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benhalima
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology*; D001935:Branchioma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000175:diagnosis; D010157:Palatal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Amygdaloid cyst; Carcinome épidermoïde; Head and neck neoplasms; Kyste amygdaloïde; Squamous cell carcinoma; Tumeurs de la tête et du cou