A 3-year-old boy presented to the hospital with a cystic swelling on the right side of his neck. The swelling was diagnosed as a cystic hygroma. The cystic hygroma was surgically excised under general anesthesia. Cystic hygromas are cystic lymphangiomas that commonly occur in the neck and armpit regions. They may cause respiratory distress, recurrent infections, or cosmetic issues. Complete surgical excision is the ideal treatment, though sclerosant therapy is also used.

1. ‫الرحيم‬ ‫الرحمن‬ ‫هللا‬ ‫بسم‬
Cystic Hygroma of the
Neck in a Child
Prof. Abdulsalam Y Taha
College of Medicine
University of Sulaimani
2022 1

2. The Case
 A 3-years old boy presented to Basra
Teaching Hospital, Basra, Iraq on
14th of July 2000 because of a
multilobulated cystic swelling at the
base of the right neck. The swelling
was trans-illuminant to light. The
diagnosis was a cystic hygroma.
Surgical exploration and complete
excision of the swelling under
general anaesthesia was done. 2

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6. Comment
 “Cystic hygromas are the cystic variety
of lymphangioma, common locations
being cervico-facial regions and axilla.
Respiratory distress, recurrent
infections or cosmetic reasons are the
main indications of the treatment. The
ideal treatment is complete surgical
excision; however, there is a gradual
conversion towards sclerosant
therapy” [1]. 6

7. ● Bibliography
[1] Mirza B, Ijaz L, Saleem M, Sharif
M, Sheikh A. Cystic hygroma: an
overview. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2010
Sep;3(3):139-44. doi: 10.4103/0974-
2077.74488. PMID: 21430825; PMCID:
PMC3047730.
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