ATYPICAL HEAD AND NECK MASSES AND THEIR DIAGNOSTIC REALITIES IN PAEDIATRIC AGE GROUP

Abstract

Objective:

Objective of this study was to correlate between clinical diagnosis and histopathological findings and to highlight frequency of problems and diagnostic accuracy.

Material & Methods:

Atypical head and neck swellings among all pediatric group admitted and surgically managed at TUTH Pediatric Surgery Unit from December 2011 to December 2012 were analyzed from hospital records. All patients had surgical excision of swellings and histopathological reports was evaluated.

Results:

This was a restrospective study. Ten pediatric patients with various types of head and neck swellings; four males and six females under 10 years of age were included in this study. Maximum cases were within 1- 5 years ages. Thyroglossal cysts, Lipoma and Meningo myelocele were frequent and distinct. Other different types of head and neck swellings were hemangioma or arterio-venous malformations, lymphangiomas, dermoid cysts and lymphomas.

Conclusion:

Pediatric atypical head and neck swelling are of different characteristic thus diagnostic dilemma is present. However congenital origin of swellings were very high. Surgical excision and biopsy will be diagnostic and curative as well. Limited series in our study is difficult to conclude the problems. Continuous studies with large sample size are needed to conclude about these problems.

Keywords: Atypical, Head Neck, Pediatric ages, Swelling