Clinical and Pathological Evaluation of Neck Masses in Children

소아의 경부 종괴에 관한 임상 및 병리학적 고찰

Histologically proven 465 cases of neck mass in children were analized for the determination of the nature of lesions. Pathologic specimens were obtained during 10 years from January 1981 to December 1989 at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University, College of Medicine. 1) Congenital lesion was most common in neonate(80%) and congenital lesion and inflamatory disease were common in infancy and inflammatory disease was most common in more than one year old children. Thyroglossal duct cyst was most common(35.4%) disease of the congenital lesion. followed by cytic hygroma(34%) and branchial cleft remnants(29.2%). 2) Benign tumors were discovered most frequently in adolescence (55.2%) and thyroid adenoma(23.7%) and epithelial tumor(21.1%) and hemangiomas(19.7%) were most common. Most common malignant tumors were malignant lymphoma (50%) and Hodgkin's disease and were present in the older children. Metastatic cancers were very rare and their primary sites were deductable in all cases. 3) Reactive hyperplasia of lymph node was most common in inflammatory disease(23.7%). Tuberculosis lymphadenitis was more common than nonspecific lymphadenitis. 4) Bilaterality of lesion was commonly seen in malignant disease(41.7%), reactive hyperplasia of lymph node (38.85%) and metastatic disease(33.3%). Size and duration of the masses were not helpful in the differential diagnosis of the cause of the masses. Pediatric neck mass must be evaluated with its characteristics. sites, bilaterality, size and its cange, duration and patient's age but any of these alone cant not be predicted its causes without biopsy or excision. Biopsy or excision can be done with few complication but biopsy of lymph node for diagnosis is carefully made because a large number of lymph node biopsy showed no definite diagnosis in these selected cases of patients.