ABSTRACT
Cervical teratomas, although rare, are an important cause of neck masses in newborns and children. Because these lesions are often quite large, they can lead to precipitous airway obstruction necessitating prompt recognition and surgical intervention. Teratomas are neoplastic lesions composed of tissues foreign to the anatomical site of origin, including all three germ layers. In four large series of teratomas in infancy and childhood, the incidence of cervical location ranged from 2" to 9.3". Cervical teratomas are reported to occur in all races, and there is a slight female preponderance. Cervical teratomas can accurately be diagnosed antenatally using ultrasonography, which is the also the most useful immediate postnatal imaging study. Plain radiographs demonstrate calcification within the lesion in 16" of pediatric cases. Differential diagnoses should include cystic hygroma, lymphangioma, branchial cleft abnormalities, congenital goiter, thyroglossal duct cyst, dermoid cyst, neuroblastoma, and duplications.
