Cervical Chrondrocutaneous Branchial Remnants

Similar in appearance to preauricular tags but located in the lateral neck, cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants are a rather less common and less well known congenital lesion. A retrospective review of admissions at Sainte-Justine Hospital between 1980 and 1993 produced 20 cases of cervical tags, of which 17 were true cervical chrondrocutaneous branchial remnants and 3 were skin tags associated with a thyroglossal duct. Of the 17 true cervical chrondrocutaneous branchial remnants, 15 were operated on in our institution. The clinical characteristics, results of investigations, surgical data, pathologic findings, and associated anomalies were documented. Several interesting facts emerged, including a male predominance (11 of 17), a scarcity of bilateral lesions (1 of 17), the presence of an elastic cartilage core in all operated specimens (15 of 15), and a high incidence of associated anomalies (13 of 17). We suggest that the second branchial arch is the most likely origin for the lesion. We propose a clear, widely acceptable name for this anomaly in order to prevent further diagnostic confusion. Most important, although simple surgical excision is all that is required for treatment, a complete physical examination of the patient and possibly an ultrasound examination of the genitourinary tract are recommended because a cervical chrondrocutaneous branchial remnant has proven in many cases to be a visible "marker" for more serious associated anomalies.