Abstract
We report 4 cases of congenital cartilaginous rest of the neck found at birth. All 4 cases were males, and the hard cartilaginous mass was palpable at the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Two cases presented in the left lower part of the neck, one case in the left upper part, and one case in the right lower part. The masses were hard and were between 1-1.5 cm in diameter. All cases were operated on at 1-2 years of age. In all 4 cases, the masses were resected ; they had developed in the sternocleidomastoid muscle. On histology, they were found to be composed of normal hyaline cartilage in a fibrous stroma.
A cartilaginous mass in the neck found at birth is rare ; it is referred to as a congenital cartilaginous rest of the neck, a cartilage naevus of the neck, an accessory ear of the neck, or a cervical auricle. Congenital cartilaginous rest of the neck originates in the second and subsequent branchial arches. Many cases are found in the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle ; the base of the mass developes in the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Mass resection is the operative indication. It is important to recognize that some of these cases have other systemic malformations.
