Midline cervical cleft

• Published in: Pediatrics (Evanston) Vol. 92; no. 2; pp. 286 - 287
• Main Authors: MADDALOZZO, J, FRANKEL, A, HOLINGER, L. D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elk Grove Village, IL American Academy of Pediatrics 01-08-1993
• Subjects: Abnormalities; Biological and medical sciences; Birth defects; Branchial Region; Children; Facial bones, jaws, teeth, parodontium: diseases, semeiology; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Medical research; Medical sciences; Neck; Neck - abnormalities; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Pediatric surgery; Pediatrics; Surgery; Human; Case study; Newborn; Malformation; Cleft; ENT disease; Neck
• ISSN: 0031-4005; 1098-4275
• DOI: 10.1542/peds.92.2.286

The congenital midline cervical cleft represents a rare developmental abnormality that is not widely reported in the pediatric literature.1 Usually the lesion is initially evaluated by a pediatrician or other primary care physician who misinterprets the deficit as a branchial cleft deformity or thyroglossal duct cyst. Although developmentally related to these disorders, the congenital midline cleft represents a distinct anomaly that should be recognized at initial examination. The parents can then be appropriately counseled about the implications and further management decisions that are peculiar to this disorder. We have recently treated five cases of congenital midline cervical cleft at the Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL.