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Right fourth branchial cyst presenting as retropharyngeal collection in a neonate

Journal of Perinatology volume 32, pages 153–155 (2012)Cite this article

Subjects

A 3-day-old girl was referred to our department for severe dyspnea and a cervical mass. She was born by planned cesarean delivery because of a scarred uterus after a 37-week pregnancy. The delivery was unremarkable, with Apgar 8–10–10, and there was no difficulty in inserting a feeding tube through the nostrils and esophagus. However, at 6 h after birth, she began to show signs of respiratory distress with difficulty in swallowing and hypersialorrhea. A nasogastric tube was inserted the next day and breast feeding was stopped. She was intubated on day 2 because of major respiratory distress. During intubation, pediatricians noticed a cystic mass arising from the posterior pharyngeal wall, evocative of a retropharyngeal collection.

Physical examination on day 3 revealed enlargement of the right side of the neck, with no signs of inflammation. Infectious disease investigations were negative (gastric liquid, C-reactive protein <5 mg l−1).

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Dr Orsel, Professor Bessède and Professor Sauvage for their critical reviewing of the case.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France

    V Patron

  2. Department of Radiology, Limoges University Hospital, Limoges, France

    P-Y Roudaut

  3. Department of Paediatrics and Neonatology, Limoges University Hospital, Limoges, France

    P Brosset

  4. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Limoges University Hospital, Limoges, France

    V Patron, M Vivent & K Aubry

  5. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Armand Trousseau University Hospital, Paris, France

    N Leboulanger

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  1. V Patron
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  6. N Leboulanger
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Correspondence to V Patron.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Journal of Perinatology website .

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Patron, V., Roudaut, PY., Brosset, P. et al. Right fourth branchial cyst presenting as retropharyngeal collection in a neonate. J Perinatol 32, 153–155 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2011.107

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2011.107

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