Congenital absence of the parathyroid glands may be associated with congenital absence of the thymus (Lobdell, 1959). This is not surprising as both structures arise together from the 3rd and 4th branchial pouches. In the same way, vascular anomalies of the 3rd and 4th branchial arteries are found to be associated with abnormalities of the thymus, including thymic aplasia (Cameron, 1965). A pat...

We report the case of a 66-year-old man with a cervical neck mass located behind the left sternocleidomastoid muscle. To exclude malignancy, a full workup, including clinical, radiological, and cytological examination, was performed but failed to provide a definitive diagnosis. Histological analysis following excisional biopsy revealed a benign epithelial cyst, consistent with an atypically loc...

Dear Editor, Thymus and inferior parathyroids usually develop from the third pharyngeal pouch around the sixth foetal week. The inferior parathyroids separate from the thymic tissue and remain close to lower pole of the thyroid, while the thymus descends into the mediastinum. During thymic migration, small fragments of thymus may separate and attach themselves to any site along this route. Para...

VACTERL (vertebral anomalies, anal atresia, cardiac defect, tracheoesophageal fistula, renal anomaly, limb anomalies) is an association of anomalies with a wide spectrum of phenotypic expression. While the majority of cases are sporadic, there is evidence of an inherited component in a small number of patients as well as the potential influence of nongenetic risk factors (maternal diabetes mell...

Three cases of branchial plexus injury due to handcuffing with the hands behind the back are presented.

Branchial cleft anomalies are rare congenital malformations that result from the abnormal persistence of branchial clefts during embryogenesis and manifest clinically as cysts, sinuses, or fistulae. In greater than 95% cases, originate remnants second cleft. Identification anomalies, particularly fistulae, important these findings may be part a larger syndromic clinical presentation such branch...