Midline cervical cleft: a case report

Abstract

A 14-year-old boy presented with complaints of a sinus in the middle of neck, with mucoid discharge present since birth. MRI sinogram along with MRI neck was taken which revealed a sinus tract opening in midline, extending posteriorly and traversing inferiorly to end blindly above sternum. Patient was planned for an elective excision of sinus tract, with z-plasty for decreased scarring. Congenital midline cervical cleft is a rare entity that was first described in 1924. Subsequently there have been fewer than 100 cases reported in medical literature. It typically manifests at birth as a cleft at level of suprasternal notch with a pseudonipple above it. Pathogenesis of congenital midline cervical clefts remains speculative. Differential diagnosis includes thyroglossal duct cysts or branchial cleft anomalies.