Presentation and Management of Cervical Thoracic Duct Cyst: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Introduction Thoracic duct cysts are an uncommon phenomenon, especially within the cervical region. Due to its limited reported cases, very little is known about its etiology, presentation, and management. This systematic review is conducted to shed light on the ways the cyst presents and the outcomes of different…
2025 1,385 reads 1 citation
Review Articles
Presentation and Management of Cervical Thoracic Duct Cyst: A Systematic Review of the Literature
IntroductionThoracic duct cysts are an uncommon phenomenon, especially within the cervical region. Due to its limited reported cases, very little is known about its etiology, presentation, and management. This systematic review is conducted to shed light on the ways the cyst presents and the outcomes of different treatment regimens.
MethodsThe EMBASE, CINAHL, PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were thoroughly screened to identify any studies published in English up to March 24th, 2024.
ResultsThe average age of the patients was 47.8 years, with 9 (56.3%) females in the study population. The mean size of the cysts was 5.99 cm, and the most common symptom was pain, present in 5 (31.3%) patients. The most common management approach chosen for 6 (37.5%) patients was simple follow-up and observation, followed by surgical excision in 5 (31.3%) patients.
ConclusionPatients with thoracic duct cervical cysts may be asymptomatic or present with pain. Both surgical excision and conservative management may yield satisfactory outcomes.
Keywords Cervical cyst Neck mass Thoracic duct cyst Cervical swelling All subjects
Barw Medical Journal. 2025;3(3):46–50