Branchial Cyst: An Unusual Presentation as Intrathoracic Extension and Hoarseness of Voice

Branchial cleft cysts usually present as a unilateral, fluctuant soft tissue swelling that is localized deep to the anterior border of sternocleidomastoid in the lateral aspect of the neck. They are often noticed late in childhood or early adulthood. It is important that clinical diagnosis and, in some cases, appropriate imaging is performed, so that definitive treatment may be carried out. The authors present an unusual case of a 35-year-old man who presented with hoarseness of voice associated with a lateral neck mass that extended retrosternally.