Branchial cleft cysts

Branchial cleft cysts appear as soft, round, painless swellings in the neck. Although they are present from birth, they begin to cause swelling around the age of 20. The reason for this is that the material collecting inside them builds up over a long period until there is enough to form a mass. First branchial cleft cysts usually extend between the external ear canal and the auricle and the angle of the mandible (lower jaw). Third branchial cleft fistulas present as a swelling in the midline of the neck or on the side of the neck. Surgery is performed because they frequently swell up due to infection and because of the cosmetic deformity they create in the neck. It is rare for these cysts to turn into a malignant tumour. If there is an infection, antibiotic treatment is given first, and the operation is performed afterwards. The tract of the cyst is followed during the operation and removed so that it does not recur.