All issues > Volume 28(10); 1985

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1985;28(10):1007-1016. Published online October 31, 1985.

Clinical Analysis of the Neck Mass in Childhood.

Jong Sic Joo, Chan Yung Kim

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine,Pusan National University

Abstract

For evaluation of clinical characteristics, 228 cases of neck mass in childhood were reviewed, which were surgically removed and pathologically diagnosed during the period from January 1973 to August 1984 at the pediatric department of Pusan National University Hospital. The results are summarized as follows: 1)Histologically the most common lesion was nonspecific lymphadenitis (31.6%) and next was tuberculous lymphadenitis(17.1%). The congenital mass(16.7%) included thyroglossal ductal cyst(9.2%), cystic hygroma(4.4%) and branchial dleft cyst(3.1%). Benign neoplasm. (14.0%) including epidermal inclusion cyst(6.6%) and lymphangioma(2.6%), malignant neoplasm (7.9%), of which primary lymphoma(4.8%) was most frequent, abscess and myositis(7.0%), thyroid mass(5.7%) followed as order of frequency. 2)In the age distribution, the incidence was higher as older and 39% of all neck mass were observed in patients over 11 years of age.Male to female ratio was 1.2: 1 with no sex difference. In the malignant neoplasm and abscess male was predominant but thyroid massr female was. 3)Unilateral and multiple lesion were more frequent in the inflammatory mass and in. the benign and malignant neoplasms, unilateral and solitary were. All the congenital masswere solitary and unilateral or midline and all thyroid masses were solitary and midline. Medium size of 2~4 cm in diameter was more common, occupying about half of all. Small size below 2 cm was more common in the inflammatory lesion and in the thyroid mass, large size over 4 cm was common. 4)In the duration of neck mass, the period from onset to visiting, that of inflammatory and malignant mass was short relatively so that masses persisting 3~12 months were more common, but the duration of benign and congenital mass were variable within 5 years. The patients with malignant neoplasm and tuberculous lymphadenitis had more systemic symptoms such as fever, weight loss, hepatosplenomegaly except palpable mass in the neck than those with other neck mass including benign or congenital had.

Keywords :Neck mass; Biopsy