경부 낭성 종물로 발견된 갑상선 유두상암종 2례

Lateral cervical cysts commonly represent benign lesions and a branchial cleft cyst is the most common cyst to arise laterally within the neck. But, it is not rare to find lateral cervical cysts caused by carcinomas from oronasopharynx, thyroid, major salivary glands and lung. Among them, papillary thyroid carcinoma was a great propensity for lymphatic spread and often cervical metastatic lymph node can be palpable without the primary tumor being clinically evident. Particularly, patients over the age of 40 years presenting with a benign cystic lesion in the neck should undergo preliminary examinations which include a careful history, fine needle aspiration, ultrasound, thyroid scan for primary tumor evaluation and the possibility of metastatic thyroid carcinoma must be ruled out. Recently, we experienced 2 cases of thyroid papillary carcinoma detected by cervical metastatic lymph node which was thought to be a branchial cyst. We did total thyroidectomy after the excisional biopsy of cystic masses which were revealed as metastatic thyroid papillary carcinoma. (J Clinical Otolaryngol 2000;11:163-166)