The Occurrence of a Branchial Cleft Cyst in the Anterior Mediastinum: A Case Report

are usually expressed in the form of a cystic mass in the neck. Anomalies of the second branchial cleft account for approximately 95% of all branchial cleft cyst (1). Congenital abnormalities of the branchial apparatus can result in various abnormal conditions of the neck including cyst, sinus, or fistulae. The number of cysts is more common than sinuses and fistulae combined. Moreover the anomalies are rarely bilateral and can be familial (1). Despite being congenital, cysts are generally found in young adults (average age, 31 years) as a mass at the mandibular angle, often associated with an upper respiratory tract infection resulting from an injury, which subsequently precipitates towards cyst enlargement (1). To the best of our knowledge, only two cases of mediastinal branchial cleft cysts have been reported in the literature (2, 3).