Computed Tomographic Evaluation of Thyroglossal Duct Cysts in Children Under 11 Years of Age

The purpose of this study was to review the computed tomography (CT) features of thyroglossal duct cysts (TDCs) in children less than 11 years of age. A retrospective chart review was performed at Chonnam National University Hospital for the period of March 2005 to June 2011. CT scans of 16 patients having TDCs were evaluated for the following features: site of the mass, relationship to the midline, walls, margins, internal septa, rim enhancement, internal density, and the presence or absence of the thyroid gland. Of the 16 lesions, 8 (50%) were located in the midline and 12 (75%) were infrahyoid in location. Twelve (75%) of the 16 patients had well-circumscribed walls and peripheral rim enhancement. Internal septa were seen in four of the cysts, and all but one of the cysts demonstrated homogeneous or low-density attenuation. The most common CT findings of TDCs in children less than 11 years of age were a homogeneous or low-density lesion. TDCs in children under the age of 11 years were mostly located in the infrahyoid neck.