Cyst In The Hyoid Bone: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature

The most common congenital neck mass is the thyroglossal duct cyst. This cyst rarely occurs in the intrahyoid region. A review of the literature to date showed only five other reported cases of a cystic mass within the hyoid bone. We herein describe a 65-year-old woman who presented with a 4-year history of progressive swelling over the midline of the anterior neck. A computed tomography scan of the neck showed a benign-appearing cystic mass within the anterior portion of the mid-hyoid bone with well-defined margins. Under general anesthesia, the cystic lesion and central part of the hyoid bone were excised from the hyoid bone. The body of the hyoid bone (between the two lesser horns) and the remnant cyst were dissected away. Histological examination of the cyst showed cyst wall-like tissue. Given the radiographic, operative, and pathologic findings, the diagnosis of a thyroglossal duct cyst was confirmed. This intrahyoid localization once again supports a surgical approach to systematic resection of the body of the hyoid bone in patients with thyroglossal duct cysts.