Presentation
It usually presents as a midline neck lump (in the region of the hyoid bone) that is usually painless, smooth and cystic, if infected pain can occur. There may be difficulty breathing, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), and/or dyspepsia (discomfort in the upper abdomen), especially if the lump becomes large.
The most common locations for a thyroglossal cyst is midline or slightly off midline, between the isthmus of the thyroid and the hyoid bone or just above the hyoid bone. A thyroglossal cyst can develop anywhere along a thyroglossal duct, though cysts within the tongue or in the floor of the mouth are rare.
A thyroglossal cyst will move upwards with protrusion of the tongue.
Thyroglossal cysts are associated with an increased incidence of ectopic thyroid tissue. Occasionally, a lingual thyroid can be seen as a flattened strawberry-like lump at the base of the tongue.
==Embryology== The thyroglossal tract arises from the foramen cecum at the junction of the anterior two-thirds and posterior one-third of the tongue. Any part of the tract can persist causing a sinus, fistula or cyst. Most fistulae are acquired following rupture or incision of the infected thyroglossal cyst. thyroglossal cyst lined by pseudostratified, ciliated columnar epithilium while thyroglossal fistula is lined by columnar epithilium.
Read more about this topic: Thyroglossal Cyst
Famous quotes containing the word presentation:
“He uses his folly like a stalking-horse, and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)