Abstract
A unique case of a cystic thymopharyngeal duct with coexistent thymus and parathyroid glands is presented as a rare form of cervical thymus. The embryology of normal cervical descent of the thymus is reviewed. Special attention is given to the pathogenesis of a wide variety of cervical thymic tissue which may be encountered. A unifying scheme and nosology are proposed for deciphering the various reported types of solid and cystic cervical thymic abnormalities.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Tori
F
Mores
A
. The aberrant cervical thymus . Am J Surg 1978 ; 136 : 631 –7 .
2.
Gilmour
JR
. The embryology of the parathyroid glands, the thymus, and certain associated rudiments . J Pathol Bacteriol 1937 ; 45 : 507 –22 .
3.
Shier
K
. The morphology of the epithelial thymus . Lab Invest 1963 ; 12 : 316 –26 .
4.
Patten
BM
. Human embryology . 3rd ed. New York : McGraw-Hill , 1968 : 431 –42 .
5.
Weiss
L
Greep
RO
. Histology . 4th ed. New York : McGraw-Hill , 1977 : 503 –16 .
6.
Ellis
HA
Knight
B
. Parathyroid and cervical thymus in sudden unexpected death in infancy . Pediatrics 1969 ; 44 : 225 –33 .
7.
Speer
F
. Thymic cysts . Med Coll Flower Hosp Bull 1938 ; 1 : 142 –50 .
8.
Ellis
HA
. Cervical thymic cysts . Br J Surg 1967 ; 54 : 17 –20 .
9.
Willis
RA
. The borderland of embryology and pathology . 2nd ed. London : Butterworths , 1962 : 290 –1 .
10.
Fielding
JF
Farmer
AW
Lindsay
WK
Conen
PE
. Cystic degeneration in persistent cervical thymus . Can J Surg 1963 ; 6 : 178 –85 .
11.
Weller
RW
Pearce
A
Rappoport
M
. Thymic cyst of the neck . Arch Pathol 1951 ; 52 : 569 –73 .
12.
Bieger
RC
McAdams
AJ
. Thymic cysts . Arch Pathol 1966 ; 82 : 535 –41 .
13.
Mikal
S
. Cervical thymic cyst . Arch Surg 1974 ; 109 : 558 –62 .
14.
Maisel
H
Yoshihara
H
Waggoner
D
. The cervical thymus . Mich Med 1975 ; 259 –61 .
15.
Lewis
MR
. Persistence of the thymus in the cervical area . J Pediatr 1962 ; 61 : 887 –93 .
16.
Sood
VP
Chattopadhyay
AK
. Cervical thymic cyst . Eye Ear Nose Throat J 1976 ; 55 : 99 –101 .
17.
Fahmy
S
. Cervical thymic cysts: Their pathogenesis and relationship to branchial cysts . J Laryngol Otol 1974 ; 88 : 47 –60 .
18.
Amr
M
. Cervical cysts, sinuses, and fistulae of branchial, pharyngothymic duct and thyroglossal duct origin . Br J Plast Surg 1964 ; 17 : 148 –67 .
19.
Dzort
J
Lejska
V
MacIk
I
. Cystis ductus thvmopharyngei persistens . Cesk Otolaryngol 1979 ; 28 : 158 –60 .
20.
Lydall
D
. Congenital cyst of third branchial cleft . Arch Otolaryngol 1956 ; 64 : 540 –2 .
21.
Tucker
HM
Skolnick
ML
. Fourth branchial cleft (pharyngeal pouch) remnant . Trans Am Acad Ophthalmol Otolaryngol 1973 ; 77 : 368 –71 .
22.
Hagens
EW
. Malformation of the auditory apparatus in the newborn . Arch Otolaryngol 1932 ; 15 : 671 –80 .
23.
McLeod
D
Karandy
E
. Aberrant cervical thymus . Arch Otolaryngol 1981 ; 107 : 178 –80 .
24.
Lewis
CT
. Ectopic thymus of the neck: Report of three examples in children . Postgrad Med J 1975 ; 51 : 38 –40 .
25.
Ridenhour
CE
Henzel
JH
deWeese
MS
Kerr
SE
. Thymoma arising from undescended cervical thymus . Surgery 1970 ; 67 : 614 –9 .
26.
Pirkey
WP
. Epithelioma of undescended thymus in a child . Arch Otolaryngol 1954 ; 59 : 237 –40 .
27.
Sease
CI
. Cervical thymoma . Va Med Month 1956 ; 83 : 345 –6 .