title: [Cervical thoracic duct cyst: An uncommon entity].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical thoracic duct cysts are a rare anomaly.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To report a case of cervical thoracic duct cyst, and perform a literature review.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 78-year-old female, with a one-year history of a left-sided asymptomatic supraclavicular cystic mass. Computerized tomography revealed a cystic mass 42mm in diameter. We performed a fine needle aspiration puncture, obtaining a thick, milky, whitish liquid. The patient underwent surgery; finding a left-sided supraclavicular cystic mass, with some lymph vessels heading towards the jugulo subclavian venous junction. We performed a ligation of these lymph vessels and resection of the mass. The histopathologic study confirmed the diagnosis of thoracic duct cyst.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diagnosis of cervical thoracic duct cyst should be suspected with a cystic lesion in the left supraclavicular region, which when perforated exudes a very distinctive thick milky, whitish liquid with a high content of lymphocytes and triglycerides. Treatment should be complete removal with ligation of the lymphatic afferent vessels.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General, Hospital Álvaro Cunqueiro, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo, Vigo, España. Electronic address: mancarreira@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carreira-Delgado
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General, Hospital Álvaro Cunqueiro, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo, Vigo, España.
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernández-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General, Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti, Lugo, España.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Míguez
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Álvaro Cunqueiro, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo, Vigo, España.
authors.forename: María Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Álvarez-Martín
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General, Hospital Álvaro Cunqueiro, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Vigo, Vigo, España.
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nuño Vázquez-Garza
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008026:Ligation; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000601:surgery; D008476:Mediastinal Cyst / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013897:Thoracic Duct / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Cervical; Cirugía; Quiste conducto torácico; Surgery; Thoracic duct cyst