Abstract
Thyroglossal duct cyst is a congenital cyst derived from epithelial remnants of the thyroglossal duct of the fetus and occurs between the foramen cecal of the tongue and the thyroid gland, though it rarely arises in the oral cavity. We report here a case of the cyst occurring in the lower tongue at birth.
The patient, an 11-day-old male infant, was referred by his obstetrician to our department with a chief complaint of swelling in the lower tongue. Physical examination revealed an elastic soft mass of 15mm in diameter at the hypoglottis region, though functional disorders including lactation were not noted. Magnetic resonance imaging （T2 emphasis） showed a 14×12×18mm cystic lesion having a clear boundary in the lower front of the tongue. A clinical diagnosis of lower tongue cyst was made. The removal was carried out under general anesthesia following serial observations until the body weight reached 10kg. Histopathological findings did not contradict the thyroglossal duct cyst. The post-operative course was uneventful.
