Abstract
Congenital lateral cervical fistula is a branchial anomaly that is formed by the abnormal evolution of the branchial cleft. Most lateral cervical fistulas only have an external opening, so a complete lateral cervical fistula with an external and internal opening is rare. We report a case with a left complete lateral cervical fistula from the second cleft. A 9-year-old girl complained of mucal discharge from an opening in the left lower neck. A fistulography was performed to confirm the tract of the fistula, and the tract was found to end in the area of the mouth. We diagnosed the patient as having a complete fistula. The fistula was totally extirpated under general anesthesia. During the operation, two horizontal incisions were made in the neck, and an angiography guidewire was very useful as a guide. An internal opening was recognized in the middle of the posterior palatine arch. We concluded that the complete lateral cervical fistula was derived from the second branchial cleft.
