Giant subcutaneous bronchogenic cyst in the intergluteal cleft region of an adult: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND: Bronchogenic cysts (BCs) are generally detected in the mediastinum, along the tracheobronchial tree, or in the lung parenchyma. Subcutaneous BCs are rare, but, when found, are usually small (< 3 cm) and detected in children. CASE PRESENTATION: In an unusual adult case, we treated a 52-year-old woman who presented with a mass in the left intergluteal cleft region. Ultrasonography showed a well-circumscribed hypoechoic lesion with posterior enhancement and internal echogenic foci within the mass. Color Doppler images showed no signals. Computed tomography showed the mass as a homogeneous, 6.8- × 6.3- × 5.1-cm soft tissue-attenuation lesion lodged in subcutaneous fatty tissue. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a cystic lesion of similar dimensions with heterogeneous hyperintensity on both T1- and T2-weighted images. No contrast enhancement, solid components, or restricted diffusion foci were apparent. The cyst was completely excised, and histopathological evaluation indicated it was a BC. The patient’s recovery was uneventful. CONCLUSIONS: BCs should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all subcutaneous cystic masses, regardless of their location and size and the patient’s age.