{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,29]],"date-time":"2026-10-29T17:12:52Z","timestamp":1793293972845,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":11,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"5","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Case Rep"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2024,4,24]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Neck masses are frequently seen in children. The differential diagnosis includes infectious, congenital and neoplastic lesions. We report a case of rare thymic neck mass in a boy in his middle childhood presented with a history of a left anterolateral neck mass not associated with fever, dysphagia or shortness of breath. The radiographic evaluation showed a picture of a thymopharyngeal duct cyst. Thymic remnant and thymopharyngeal duct cyst are caused by the failure of obliteration and might appear as a lateral neck mass in children. The most effective treatment for a thymopharyngeal duct cyst is total surgical excision. This particular case highlights the importance for clinicians to have a high index of suspicion for a broad differential diagnosis when evaluating paediatric patients who present with neck mass. Additionally, we emphasise the importance of consistently considering thymopharyngeal cyst as differential diagnosis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2023-256136","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,8]],"date-time":"2024-05-08T12:55:44Z","timestamp":1715172944000},"page":"e256136","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Congenital cystic neck mass of thymic origin"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-1981-2171","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zohour Awadh","family":"Almalki","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine and Surgery, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7081-2723","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hussain","family":"Alsheef","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatric ENT, Maternity and Children Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Farah Salman","family":"Alnemari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine and Surgery, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sarah Owaidh","family":"Aljuaid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine and Surgery, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025082703122448000_17.5.e256136.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"457","DOI":"10.1016\/j.coms.2012.05.006","article-title":"Pediatric neck masses","volume":"24","author":"Goins","year":"2012","journal-title":"Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am"},{"key":"2025082703122448000_17.5.e256136.2","first-page":"353","article-title":"Evaluation and management of neck masses in children","volume":"89","author":"Meier","year":"2014","journal-title":"Am Fam Physician"},{"key":"2025082703122448000_17.5.e256136.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.4038\/seajme.v14i2.275","article-title":"Pediatric Otolaryngology training program and surgical exposure in Western province, Saudi Arabia; toward surgical competency in pediatric Otolaryngology","volume":"14","author":"Al-khatib","year":"2020","journal-title":"SE Asian Jnl Med Educ"},{"key":"2025082703122448000_17.5.e256136.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e520","DOI":"10.1097\/SCS.0000000000006704","article-title":"Uncommon childhood unilateral Cervical giant Thymic Cyst","volume":"31","author":"Aydin","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Craniofac Surg"},{"key":"2025082703122448000_17.5.e256136.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2018-228807","article-title":"Challenges in diagnosing ectopic thymus tissue in children","volume":"12","author":"Claes","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMJ Case Rep"},{"key":"2025082703122448000_17.5.e256136.6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.17161\/kjm.v13i1.13624","article-title":"A case of Cervico-Mediastinal Thymic Cyst causing tracheal compression in a child","volume":"13","author":"McElyea","year":"2020","journal-title":"Kans J Med"},{"key":"2025082703122448000_17.5.e256136.7","first-page":"107","article-title":"Pathological analysis of congenital Cervical cysts in children: 20 years of experience at Chang Gung Memorial hospital","volume":"26","author":"Hsieh","year":"2003","journal-title":"Chang Gung Med J"},{"key":"2025082703122448000_17.5.e256136.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00383-006-1822-5"},{"key":"2025082703122448000_17.5.e256136.9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijporl.2004.02.012"},{"key":"2025082703122448000_17.5.e256136.10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00383-002-0803-6"},{"key":"2025082703122448000_17.5.e256136.11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0022-3468(88)80640-7"}],"container-title":["BMJ Case Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2023-256136","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,27]],"date-time":"2025-08-27T10:12:32Z","timestamp":1756289552000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/casereports.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bcr-2023-256136"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,5]]},"references-count":11,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,8]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,5]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bcr-2023-256136"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bcr-2023-256136","relation":{},"ISSN":["1757-790X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1757-790X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,5]]}}}