Does a thyroglossal cyst have to be removed?
Treatment. Thyroglossal duct cysts are typically removed through surgical excision. However, if the cyst is infected, a surgical procedure should not be done until the infection is treated. Removing an infected cyst without adequately treating the infection can result in a more difficult surgery.
What is thyroglossal?
A thyroglossal duct cyst is a pocket in the front part of neck that is filled with fluid. A child is born with this cyst. It is formed from leftover tissue from the development of the thyroid gland when an embryo was forming. The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck.
How do you treat a thyroglossal cyst?
The treatment for a thyroglossal duct cyst is surgical removal. There is no known medical therapy with the exception of infected thyroglossal duct cysts, which require immediate antibiotic treatment. The infection should be resolved before surgery is performed.
Can you live with a Thyroglossal cyst?
Thyroglossal cysts are most often found and treated in children. But they may sometimes go undetected or untreated until adulthood. In most cases, thyroglossal cysts are benign.
Can I live with Thyroglossal cyst?
A person can live with a Thyroglossal Duct Cyst without any problems, until a pathology develops. Thyroglossal duct carcinoma occurs in approximately 1 to 2% of Thyroglossal cyst cases.
What happens after Sistrunk procedure?
Following the Sistrunk procedure, patients are instructed to avoid heavy lifting for 2 to 6 weeks. Depending on the size of the thyroglossal duct cyst, there may be a surgical drain in place, which would be removed within a few days of surgery. Pain medication or antibiotics may be prescribed postoperatively.
Can Thyroglossal cyst affect thyroid function?
Thyroglossal duct cysts can contain ectopic thyroid tissue, and in some cases this tissue may be the only functional thyroid gland. We present a 6-year-old girl with delayed diagnosis of iatrogenic hypothyroidism that developed following excision of a thyroglossal duct cyst.
What are the causes of Thyroglossal cyst?
Before birth the thyroid gland moves in the neck to its usual position below the thyroid cartilage and above the sternum. A portion of this path in which the thyroid gland moves may fill with mucus-like fluid, creating a thyroglossal duct cyst.
How fast do thyroglossal cysts grow?
About 50% of the cases are detected within the first 2 decades of life, but approximately 15% of cases are diagnosed after the age of 50 years. Most thyroglossal duct cysts are slow growing, averaging a size of 2–4 cm, but may enlarge rapidly following an upper respiratory tract infection [2].