Pathologic Quiz Case: An Anterior Neck Mass in a 5-Month-Old Female Infant
December 2004
in “
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
”
TLDR The neck mass was a rare benign "wattle," surgically removed for diagnosis and appearance.
A 5-month-old female infant presented with a congenital anterior neck mass, initially suspected to be a thyroglossal duct cyst or fibroepithelial polyp. A CT scan revealed a 1-cm pedunculated mass, which was surgically removed at 1.5 cm for diagnostic and cosmetic reasons. The mass was identified as a "wattle" or congenital cervical tragus, a rare benign neck mass characterized by a central plate of immature elastic cartilage surrounded by adipose tissue, hair follicles, pilosebaceous units, and eccrine glands. Wattles are typically present at birth and can be associated with syndromes like Goldenhar syndrome. The differential diagnosis includes branchial cleft cysts, thyroglossal duct cysts, and other similar lesions. Surgical excision is recommended primarily for diagnostic and cosmetic purposes.
